En Route to Happiness
by te amour
Summary: A mishap, and Percy's life crashes down from heaven to hell in a matter of days. Reeling, he's lost. Shaken. Confused. But when tragedy strikes again, an unlikely alliance with a kindred spirit sets them both on a journey of healing and self-discovery, and perhaps that which was branded an accident may have darker machinations from far darker forces...
1. Renaissance

" _Don't be too organized for your future. Life is unpredictable. Things change." - Wilson Kanadi_

 **1**

" _Hey, Wise Girl. How's it going? Is Olympus looking good?"_

He swung his sword, taking grim satisfaction at the _hiss_ the celestial bronze sword made as it cut through the dummy's head as if it was melted butter.

" _Oh, it's terrific, Percy!" She beamed, her grey eyes shining with happiness as she threw her arms around him and gave him a quick kiss on the tip of his nose. "I just rebuilt your dad's temple. You should come see it sometime!"_

 _Thwack._ There goes another dummy's head, ripped off by the sheer strength of the wild slap he sent into its jaw with his blade. With a jolt of pain up his arm, Riptide flew from his grasp and landed somewhere to his left, but he didn't care. Trivial pain, such as a potentially sprained wrist or dislocated shoulder, couldn't even compare to some of the pain he'd felt before.

" _I'm sure it's great, if you built it." He grinned down at his Wise Girl lovingly, taking pleasure from the excited warmth radiating off her being as he pulled her close for an embrace. Their knees bumped gently together, and Annabeth, in a rare moment of adorable clumsiness, lost her balance and slipped on the fine, white sand of the beach._

Couldn't compare to a fraction of the pain he was feeling _now._ With a nearly feral growl, he whirled around and punched another dummy in the gut, ignoring the sudden, stinging pain radiating off his knuckles. It's stiff, wooden waist immediately gave with a sickening _crack,_ making him nearly grin in satisfaction.

 _With a cute squeal, she fell backwards, grabbing wildly at whatever purchase she was able to find - in this case, his neck. He collapsed onto her just as she impacted against the sand with a huge_ oof! _Her warm breath tickled his nose as they lay there, on the beach, Percy's body on top of hers, staring into each other's eyes. Percy was mesmerized by the shifting shades of grey in his Wise Girl's stormy, grey irises as they leaned unconsciously close to each other…_

His dark, green eyes flashed menacingly, almost maniacally, as he literally _tore_ the last dummy's head off with a rage-filled snarl. The familiar burning of the hot lake of fury slowly bubbled up his chest as he slammed the wooden sphere into the wall of the arena.

" _Nuh-uh, Percy, don't be a bad boy, now," Annabeth suddenly smirked at him, wagging a finger in mock disapproval. Mortified, Percy quickly rolled off her, and with a wave of his hand, a splash of water cleaned the sand off their bodies without getting them soaked. "Not today, anyways. I have to wake up early tomorrow - have an internship at Gensler tomorrow in 'Cisco. It's the biggest architect firm in the world!" Percy watched with mild amusement and love as she jumped up and down like a giddy eight-year-old. "Can you believe it? My dad sent them some of my designs, and they thought it was good, and-"_

He pounded into the dummy's head again and again, imagining the face of everyone who's ever done him wrong in the past. Gabe, Ares, Luke, Kronos, _Zeus-_

" _Have a safe flight, Wise Girl." He kissed her on the cheek in farewell as she disappeared into the early morning airport crowd. "Don't die on me now!"_

Oh, the irony. He tore the dummy's fake eyes out with his fingers, imagining it was that forever-cursed Lord of the Sky. It was all because of that so-called mighty King of the Gods, Zeus, Zeus, _Zeus-_

" _What?" He asked, very quietly, and a visible gulp was present as Hermes eyed him warily._

" _You heard me, Percy," he repeated, sounding as if he'd rather be anywhere but next to him right now. "Her plane got hit by a stray lightning bolt. She's dead."_

" _She's - she's_ what _?" Percy couldn't quite get the message into his head. His Wise Girl,_ dead? _From a "stray" lightning bolt?_

Zeus's ever-so stern face appeared in place of the dummy's as Percy slammed into him with his fist, again and again and again and again and _again._ He wasn't sure, but a scream might have torn itself from his throat as he completely decimated the dummy head. Well, what was left of it, anyways.

" _You cannot be FUCKING SERIOUS!" Percy screamed at Zeus. "A STRAY FUCKING LIGHTNING BOLT?" Everyone present in the room, including the twelve Olympians, even the King of the Gods, cringed back at his grief-filled, venomous green eyes, swirling around, as dark as a hurricane. "For what, exactly? Was it another one of your one-night stands that didn't work out? The HEROINE of FUCKING OLYMPUS, of your CITY, YOUR IMMORTAL ASS, was killed because of whatever stupid FUCKING TAMPER TANTRUM you had. And what do you say? 'Oops, my bad-'"_

" _Percy, calm down-" Apollo tried to reason-_

" _I swear, I'm going to kill you," he sneered at the Lord of the Sky. "I'm going to kill you, torture you, rip out your flesh, cut your veins and let your stupid immortal ichor run down this mountain like the River of Pain runs down Tartarus. I'm going to throw you into Hell and trap you inside the Mansion of Night and watch and laugh as Nyx's children rip out your eyes and your heart. I'm-"_

He remembered screaming obscenities, so many obscenities, dozens, maybe even hundreds of threats at the King of Olympus. He vaguely recalled attempting to charge him with only his sword, but multiple arms held him back, probably saving his life. He had a hazy recollection of alarmed voices, his father, Artemis, Hestia, all telling him to calm down, to take a deep breath, that it was going to be fine, but it wasn't, it _wasn't,_ because the one constant in his life, the one who'd been with him through his ups and downs, the one he shared his first kiss with, the only name he remembered during his period of amnesia, the one he fell into Hell for, the one he _loved,_ was gone, gone into Elysium, and she was probably going to go for rebirth and he would never meet her again-

With one last agonizing cry, he crushed Zeus's face in his palm, and he reveled in it, he reveled in the illusion of power he held over his new mortal enemy, he reveled in the feeling of utterly destroying him with his bare hands as he slammed the utterly disfigured head into the wall, leaving a huge web of cracks in it-

As suddenly as it had came, his adrenaline rush stopped. His rage abated, his vision no longer tinged with a blood red hue. And he collapsed to his knees, uncaring of the sudden, hard impact of his knees on the concrete arena floor, and he felt…

Empty. Devoid of anything. Drained of energy and depleted of emotions. He welcomed the sensation, the feeling of null, of nothing, of void, because it was better than the pain. The anguish, the grief, the suffering, because he was without who he thought would be his soulmate, his lifelong love. And with her departure took his dreams, his plans with her in New Rome, his motivation, his ability to feel happy…

His will to live.

But no, he couldn't take the easy way out, he couldn't stab his own heart or slit his wrists, couldn't hang himself or jump off , because that would be cowardly, and he couldn't leave behind his mom, Paul, Thalia, Jason, all his friends at camp…

And Annabeth would hate him for it.

" _You're a coward, Percy Jackson. A coward!"_

Her words reverberated around his brain as he picked himself up from the ground. He could barely move his legs as he attempted to stagger back towards his cabin, but he wouldn't fall, he _couldn't_ fall, because he was strong, he wasn't a coward. He was strong, he wasn't a coward. He was strong, he wasn't a coward. He was strong, he wasn't a coward. He was strong…

With a groan of pain, he toppled forward. He struggled against his sudden inability to move or to keep his eyes open as he attempted to stand once again. With his on-and-off vision due to his fluttering eyelids, he could see the world spinning around him. A sharp spike of pain stabbed itself right through his temple as he cried out and curled into a ball, hoping to lessen the agony. His vision was darkening, but he thought he saw - a silver building? Silver jackets? Silver eyes? Everything was silver, and Percy didn't know why. "Why is everything silver?" he slurred as he felt himself getting picked up roughly. "No, stop, leave me be," he protested. "Leave me be-"

"Don't listen to him, Lieutenant," a feminine voice, sounding as if it came from far, far away, like from a building several hundred meters from his location, and through several thick, heavy curtains, ordered. "He is delirious with pain and exhaustion."

"What?" Percy demanded weakly, somehow managing to find the strength to try and sit up, but a strong hand pushed him back down into whoever's arms he was in. "I'm not delirious."

"Yes, you are, Kelp Head." Gods, he would recognize that voice and that nickname anywhere, at anytime, even through his muddled mind. Thalia Grace, his cousin, best friend and daughter of that _creature_. "My lady, where should we take him? Back to his cabin?"

"No, Lord Poseidon would not appreciate it," the voice he deemed at Artemis, another daughter of that _thing_ replied. "Take him to my cabin."

"But, my lady-" Thalia started to protest. Trying to take advantage of her distraction, Percy tried to roll out of her arms, but was unsuccessful in his pitiful attempt.

"No buts, Thalia," Artemis interrupted. "You wanted to keep an eye on him? Here is your chance."

"I don't need anyone to keep an eye on me," Percy groaned weakly up at the blurry image of a human-shaped blob of silver. "I'm perfectly fine alone."

"No, you are not, Perseus Jackson," Artemis replied flatly. "You are exhausted, grief-filled and nearly dead. And, even if you _are_ a boy, I suppose it would not do for the twice Hero of Olympus to fall. Which is why I apologize for my next actions."

"What-" Percy began, but was cut off when he felt something hard connect against his temple. Almost immediately, he blacked out, but not before he croaked out one last statement…

" _I'm strong. Not a coward."_

* * *

 _"With all the smiles you brought me, I never thought you could bring me so many tears"_

* * *

" _When I was at the River Styx, turning invulnerable…" Percy brushed some cake icing off his hands. "Nico said I had to concentrate on one thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal."_

 _Annabeth's stormy eyes were hard to read as she kept them on the horizon. "Yeah?" she asked nonchalantly._

" _Then up on Olympus, when they wanted to make me a god and stuff, I kept thinking…" Percy trailed off, unable to find a route to elaborate his feelings. He inwardly cursed himself for always messing things up._

 _Luckily, Annabeth saved him. "Oh, you_ so _wanted to, Seaweed Brain," she smirked, but a little light of...expectation? Happiness? Danced in her eyes._

" _Well, maybe a little," Percy admitted, for himself as much as it was for her. Immortality, after all, was a hard offer to turn down. "But I didn't, because I thought…" He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, pleased that Annabeth had chosen to remain silent and listening. "I didn't want things to stay the same for eternity, because things could always get better. And I was thinking…"_

 _Percy's throat felt as dry as sandpaper. He had played this moment in his head dozens of times since after the battle, but now that it had actually arrived, the words seemed to be stuck at his throat. He glanced over and saw Annabeth's lips twitching as she tried to hold back a smile._

" _Anyone in particular?" she asked, her voice soft and teasing._

" _You're laughing at me," Percy complained. "You're not making this easy." But his heart lifted and his tense shoulders relaxed, because at this moment, he knew, he_ knew-

 _Annabeth laughed, for real this time, a genuine, tinkling laugh which made Percy's heart flutter and his breathing hitch. She regarded him with a hint of smugness as she wrapped her arms around his neck._

" _I am never,_ ever _going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."_

 _And they melted into each other, sharing a first...well technically second kiss, but a first, voluntary one by both of them, and Percy thought it was special. Even as they were dumped into the canoe lake, Percy never let go of her hand, and he was laughing, and she was laughing too, her face totally red, as they were thrown and were about to impact against the lake's surface-_

A jolt of pain racing through his right arm was all it took to make Percy's eyes snap open. He grimaced as he struggled up to a standing position, his body oddly sore, and massaged his shoulder slowly. Apparently, he had fallen from his bed onto the hard, wooden floor of wherever he was, and his right shoulder had taken the brunt of the impact. Although, it shouldn't have hurt that much. He didn't recall doing anything to injure it…

Then his moment of blissful ignorance came to an end, and everything came racing back to him. Annabeth. The arena. Zeus's face. Pain. Getting carried.

 _Annabeth._

Black flashed before Percy's eyes as he collapsed to one knee, his eyes wide with fear and pain as he clutched at his own throat, and he felt like he was suffocating, drowning in the muskeg of the Alaskan wilderness, being asphyxiated by the curses of the _arai_ in Tartarus. A sharp pain stung in his heart and blossomed its way out through his whole body, and all he could think of was Annabeth, and how she was gone, she was _dead-_

The moment ended, as quickly as it had come. Percy slowly relaxed, although his hand was still trembling, and stood up shakily. He was the son of Poseidon. He was strong, not a coward. He was the Hero of Olympus. He was the Bane of Kronos, One of the Seven. He was…

 _Her Seaweed Brain._ That one thought alone sent Percy over the edge, and he collapsed onto his knees again, tears silently streaming down his face. He dared not sob, even as his throat constricted painfully and his mouth tried to open and scream and wail, because if anyone heard, heard the twice Hero of Olympus crying, the leader of Camp Half-Blood, one of the seven heroes...no, that would be terrible, he couldn't allow anyone to hear-

"There is no shame in crying, Perseus." Percy's head snapped up, and he instinctively got up into a defensive stance, Riptide already uncapped and held in front of him threateningly. The girl standing in front of him, however, didn't seem bothered at all.

"Put away the sword, Perseus," she said impassively. "You are in _my_ cabin, after all."

Percy lowered his sword, but was still ready, his knees bent slightly and his body tense in case the girl decided to suddenly turn into a flesh-eating monster. She made no such moves and no indications of such actions, however, as he studied her warily. Auburn hair, silver eyes, teenage face, lithe body-

Ah. That explains the silver walls and bunks and sheets and generally everything around them, at least. Even the vaguely silver morning sunlight streaming through the windows. "Lady Artemis." Putting away his sword, he managed a half bow, his voice sounding hoarse even though he hadn't been audibly crying. "It is...an honor?" He offered, attempting a weak smile, but a smile nonetheless.

Artemis rolled her eyes dismissively. "Cut the formalities, Perseus," she ordered. "There is no need for you to be so uptight around me."

Right, haha. She could wiggle her pinky and turn him into a jackalope. No need to be so uptight.

"Do you know why you are here?" she asked.

Why _was_ he here? He vaguely recalled Thalia carrying him off to a cabin. Or was it another girl? Either way, it was evident that said cabin was in fact the cabin of Artemis, the eternal maiden goddess who... _disliked_ the opposite gender. Which only added to the mystery of why he was in her cabin, in a room, alone with her.

"No," he answered honestly. "I hope you aren't going to turn me into a jackalope, though."

A flicker of a smile played on her lips. "Unfortunately, no, that is not on our agenda for the day. I am glad you can still find it in yourself to kid and jest, however. You were quite...ah, _worn out_ yesterday, when Thalia and I found you collapsed in the middle of the cabins. May I ask what event had occurred to leave the Hero of Olympus in such a state?"

Percy winced, almost imperceptibly; he had gotten much better at shielding his emotions since the _incident_ which ruined his life, but it was clear that Artemis had caught it, judging from the ever-so slight softening of her sharp, silver eyes and the sympathetic look on her face. "Spit it out, Perseus," she ordered. "Holding it in will do nobody any good."

Percy laughed. He laughed, a sharp, bitter laugh, a laugh which held no mirth, no trace of the happiness which usually accompanied his laughs; a laugh which reminded him of the venomous screeches of the _arai_ in Tartarus, the bright, poisonous flowers of Akhlys. A small tremble rocked the floor as he abruptly ceased his pained laugh and stared at Artemis incredulously, who had a slightly disgruntled expression on her face. He couldn't blame her. Was that a normal reaction? No, not by anyone's standards, to _laugh_ at something so tragic, but he wasn't just _anyone,_ he was Percy Jackson, twice Hero of Olympus, one half of the two demigods who'd braved the deepest pits of Hell and seen things nobody should ever have to see. He was Percy Jackson, the boy who thought he could finally settle down and have a good - no, not a good life, just a peaceful life, a _normal_ life, and whose dreams had been ruined by the very person whose ass he'd saved two times now-

"What happened, you ask?" He smiled icily, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Ah, I dunno, Lady Artemis. Maybe it's because she _died."_

Maybe it wasn't the best idea to talk like that to a goddess, especially in her own cabin, but Percy couldn't care less at that particular moment. If she wanted to turn him into some furry critter and release him into the wild, well, fine, he'd get ripped up by some predator and die and go to Elysium, maybe. If she wanted to just kill him here, well, he wasn't stopping her. Technically, it wouldn't be committing suicide. It would just be...intentional goading.

"Perseus-" Artemis began, a hint of warning in her tone. "You're in _my_ cabin, in front of me. Be careful-"

"I don't give a flying fuck," Percy interrupted tiredly. "Kill me, shoot me, turn me into that jackalope. Add that to your plans tonight. I don't care, dying sounds pretty cool right now. You wanted to hear what happened, so I'll give you the whole, unwatered version, right here, right now."

Artemis opened her mouth to interrupt, but Percy was on a roll, and he wasn't going to stop because of some random Olympian who could vaporize him in the blink of an eye. "Annabeth _died,_ that's what happened," he snapped. "All because of that - of that _thing_ you call your father. We had plans, you know," he continued, his voice raising. "On the _Argo II,_ in Tartarus, after the war, we had _plans,_ plans for a future together, in New Rome, attending college, settling down in an apartment. I could get a mortal degree, and she could be rebuilding all your palaces and statues and fountains and gardens and salad bars up on Olympus. We could've been _happy."_

"We were looking forward to it for a _long_ time, you know," he said, his voice nearly reaching a shout. "Four years of college in New Rome, no need to worry about wars, about doomsday prophecies, about monster attacks every other second. It was what kept me - what kept _us_ going, through the war, through Tartarus, after the war when we had nightmares about the - the _things_ down there, our plans for a future kept us going."

He took a deep breath. "And it was going wonderfully, as well. We were on spring break - that two week break the college gives us, and we were happy to just spend time at camp together, and that one day, she told me on the beach, really happy like, her grey eyes shining and - and all that." He swallowed as he attempted to keep his voice steady. "She told me she'd gotten a chance at getting an internship or something at the biggest architecture firm in the world - heck, I even remember the name, Gensler - and was taking a plane to California the next morning. Everything was going _so well."_

His voice dropped again to a near whisper as he couldn't speak louder without his voice cracking into a million shards of glass. "And your father, the oh so mighty King of Olympus, Lord Thunderpants himself - he ruined it all. A _stray lightning bolt_ , for what, exactly? Seducing some other girl and being unfaithful to Hera again? A hissy fit because he got his ass whooped by his wife again? He _accidentally_ killed her, killed off all our plans, our dreams, our _future_ together, our _happiness,_ and all he says is _'I truly apologize for this, my daughter'._ To _Athena._ He doesn't even bother talking to _me,_ the one who saved his ass, Olympus's ass, more times than I can even bother to count, and just goes off banging more chicks while he leaves all her friends, her family, her siblings, dad, even his stepmom, and _me_ to pick up the pieces. _Again."_

"We were supposed to be _done!_ We were supposed to be _happy!_ You know, I was named after Perseus, the only hero who got a good ending in the Greek myths, and for a while after the war, I actually believed it, that I could be a lucky one, I could end it off on a positive note, but _fuck,_ nope, that son-of-a-bitch had to fuck up again for the millionth time in my _god DAMNED_ life-"

He took a shaky breath, letting his sudden bout of blood-red fury calm down as Artemis stared at him, her eyes slightly wide, her mouth opened slightly as she tried to absorb in everything he'd said. "Sorry about that. It's not fair to yell at you, I guess," he chuckled bitterly. "I always respected you - one of the better gods who have some common sense, and it's not fair to scream and shout at you for all my problems - speaking of which, why do you even care anyways? You're a goddess, an Olympian, even, and I'm just some lowly demigod who you could squash like a wasp if you wanted to." He couldn't help but add on one, last jabbing remark: "So, why, pray tell, do you, the mighty Olympian goddess, care about some random demigod lowlife like me?"

That last remark wasn't fair to Artemis, he knew, but quite frankly, he didn't care right now. That last comment, directed at all the Olympians - what had _they_ done to try and make _his_ life fair. Nothing, that's what. Aside from the occasional visit from his father to strike up some idle banter (not that Percy didn't appreciate him, he loved his father), the Olympians had done nothing, absolutely _nothing_ after the end of the war. No rewards, no parties, not even a thank-you note to all the demigods and the Seven and Nico and Reyna and even Coach Hedge. It was as if they'd used the demigods, _again,_ to get rid of the thing which threatened their rule, and once that had ended, forgot about them completely again. Oh, sure, demigods were still getting claimed, Olympus was open again, but considering how hard the demigods had saved their sorry hides, that was next to nothing.

He stood there, panting and heaving, staring awkwardly at the wide-eyed goddess in front of him, but he felt relaxed, calm. It was as if he had had the weight of the sky on his shoulders again for the past...oh, three weeks or so, since she died, and now it had been lifted, and he felt suddenly impossibly light. He decided that if he was going to get smited, as least he was feeling better. _Always look to the positives, right?_

But, as he engaged the goddess in a silent staring contest, she made no move to attack or to change him into some small woodland critter. "So…" he ventured awkwardly. "Let me guess. You're gonna change me into something small and furry now, or maybe stab me or shoot me."

Artemis, however, slowly shook her head. "No," she said quietly.

Percy blinked. Had he misheard the goddess? "No?"

"No," she repeated. "I'm not going to turn you into something small and furry, Perseus, as you so eloquently put it," she added the last part drily, as if an afterthought. "I - well, I have never been in your situation before, suffering from heartbreak...but a few of my Hunters have, and...and I think I understand what you're feeling right now."

Well, this conversation suddenly took an U-turn, and now Percy feels bad for having shouted at her. "Ah, well...thanks for not, um, killing or polymorphing me?" he offered. "And I'm sorry for, well, yelling at you, I guess. As I said, it wasn't fair to you."

"I will let it slide, this time," Artemis said with an amused but warning tone. "Because I feel sympathy for your plight, son of Poseidon. Believe me or not, I _have_ paid attention to you, after that battle on Othrys. I have seen your deeds and noticed your traits. Stupid, headstrong, dense-"

"Gee, thanks," Percy mumbled.

"-but also caring, compassionate, and loyal to a fault. I know you are a good person, Perseus, despite your current status as a male. Perhaps you would like me to change that?"

"No, no, that's fine, really," Percy hastened to assure the goddess. "But...wow. You've seen all that?"

"Indeed," Artemis nodded. "And perhaps...perhaps you give me a little bit of hope, Perseus, that not all of the opposite gender are as pig-headed and arrogant as the majority are. You have managed to befriend my former Lieutenant, after all. No small feat, if you ask me."

"I - wow, damn," Percy breathed. "I - I never would've thought-"

And he never _did_ think, that some of the gods maybe cared enough to pay a little attention, and that it would be _Artemis_ of all the immortals to know so much about him. For the first time during their little conversation, he was at a loss of words, because he didn't know how to express - he didn't know what he was feeling right now.

Artemis regarded him impassively as he attempted to calm his raging myriad of emotions.

 _One. Two. Three._

Close your eyes. Deep breath in...exhale.

Percy opened his eyes again. He felt considerably calmer, more relaxed. His mind was clearer, his thoughts re-lining themselves up again alongside the train tracks in his brain. "It's just so...hard, y'know?" He finally said shakily. "She was the one rock in my life, ever since I got thrusted into this world of monsters and gods and Titans and Primordials, and now she's - she's gone, and…" Tears stung his eyes. "I just want her back so much, if only for a day, an hour, even a _second…_ "

"I understand," she said quietly. "At least, I try my best to understand, and that is all I can offer."

"No, no, that's fine," Percy hastened to assure her. "It's more than I would expect - I mean, it-"

Artemis laughed, three short, bright, tinkling notes, which somehow relaxed his tense body. Lifted his spirits. Made him...not happy, not by a long shot, but content.

"I will take my leave now, Hero of Olympus," she said quietly. "My Hunters will be back soon from their expedition into the woods. I suggest you leave as well, unless you wish to lose a few body parts."

"Of course, my lady," he nodded awkwardly, and they were back to normal, a demigod and a goddess once again. Gone was the quietly comforting air they had been conversing in a mere few seconds ago.

He missed it already.

Artemis gave him one last nod. "Stay strong," she murmured, and disappeared into thin air without so much as a flash. At least she wasn't as dramatic as her father.

Percy left as well, but not before kneeling down in the center of the silver room and sending a silent prayer of gratitude to the goddess. "Thank you, my lady," he murmured. "For talking with me." _For caring,_ he wanted to add, but decided against it. It would sound...insensitive.

And for the first time since the death of his beloved, Percy walked into the morning sunlight with the ghost of a smile flickering around the corners of his lips. It wasn't much, barely a twitch. He was still weighed down by grief and pain and anguish. He still wanted to kill Zeus for what he did. He still missed his Wise Girl so very much.

But a smile, however fleeting it was, was better than nothing, at least.

It was a start. And once again, he sent a silent thank you to the goddess who had helped him make it.

 _Thank you, my lady._

No, no need for formalities, after all. No need to be so uptight _._ Even if she could wiggle her pinky and turn him into a jackalope.

 _Thank you, Artemis._


	2. Conversations

_"Ah, good conversation - there's nothing like it, is there? The air of ideas is the only air worth breathing."_ _\- Edith Wharton_

 **2**

"Percy?"

Percy pursed his lips as he opened his eyes, slightly vexed that someone had interrupted his alone time. That vexation quickly changed to a friendly but bemused smile when he registered the electric blue eyes staring back at him.

He had been spending much more time down at the beaches of Camp, he found, after Annabeth's...passing away. He has yet to back down over his refusal to use the word "death", and any campers who slipped their tongue in front of him would get the most venomous wolf glare he could muster up from his time with Lupa. So far, he had managed to refrain from inflicting any physical harm to any of them, but gods above, there were some times when he just wanted to bash Drew's snotty face in when he overheard her conversations. Or anyone else's, really, when they talked about Annabeth using the word "death" or "dead".

This was one of these times, apparently, when he had to extract himself from the majority of the campers to prevent his anger from overflowing. He'd stormed down to the beach, acutely aware of the confused and slightly...no, _really_ apprehensive gazes the campers sent at him, particularly the new ones. The veterans mostly just gave him pity stares. He hated that even more.

The beach was the one place where he could get away from everybody. He could take a seat on the wet sand and simply lie down, with the gentle waves lapping at his feet. His father's domain had yet to fail him when he needed a temporary sanctuary. The cool sea breezes which drifted lazily across the coastline calmed him down in his moments of rage or sadness, and by his father's name, he had been having a lot of these lately.

He himself referred to these moments as his "periods". Apparently, Chiron had diagnosed him with a mild case of PTSD. "Considering your situation, my boy," the old centaur had said, a glint of sympathy in his eyes, "I'm glad it wasn't any worse."

And so, with that, people at camp tended to just leave him to his own devices, at least for the time being. Although not particularly pleased - he would rather they just treat him like a normal person - he was fine with that. He didn't want to drag anyone else into his bubble of grief and trauma. Heavens forbid them having to go through what he was going through right now.

Which was why, to his annoyance, he was disturbed for the first time in his fifteen times down at the beach. He would've thought the campers knew better.

Of course, he supposed Thalia Grace wasn't your stereotypical half-blood camper. She was one of the few to treat him more or less the same way after _the incident._ Also, he supposed she didn't exactly count as a camper anyways, due to her current affiliation with Artemis and the Hunters.

Still, he appreciated the way she treated him, the sense that nothing was different whenever she talked to him, via Iris message or in person. She could offer him a sense of normalcy, at least partially. Something he had been searching for...no, he had been lacking, and craving, since his talk with Artemis.

Speaking of which, Thalia's presence here most likely meant the Hunters were with her...again, for the second time in as many months. Apparently, last time, they were coincidentally close to Long Island Sound and Thalia wanted to check on him. They'd stayed for only a few hours, not even playing the traditional Capture the Flag. He probably should thank her for that.

But this time? He was fairly sure Artemis wouldn't spare another few days just because his cousin wanted to see him. They had to have a reason to be here. Which was the source of his confusion.

"Thalia?" he grunted, rolling aside and sitting up, brushing some excess sand off his back as best he could. "What are you doing at Camp?"

Said girl raised an eyebrow. "Nice to meet you too, Percy. Can't a girl visit her cousin if she wanted to?"

"Not is she's the lieutenant of the Hunt," Percy rolled his eyes at her games but gave a good-natured smile. "So, what's up? It's the second time in, like, two months, is it?"

"Yeah," Thalia nodded. "But haven't you heard? The gods are planning a solstice party in a week, to celebrate the Giant War and stuff, so we'll be staying here for a bit of time. Apparently there'll be rewards."

 _So they've finally got around to doing it,_ Percy thought with dry amusement and a slight amount of disdain. What was the point now? It's been, like, more than a year and a half since the giants and Gaea had been defeated. Everyone was minding their own business, and life had returned to normal...well, as normal as was possible for demigods. A party now just didn't have the same feel to it, the triumph, the happiness that they'd survived another war, the glee that they'd saved the world again.

And of course, one very important member of the war was...lost. That kind of put a real damper on things, as far as Percy was concerned.

Also, it seemed like a bit of a forced reason to visit Camp - the Hunt could've easily just came to New York on the day of the solstice - but he shrugged mentally. It wasn't his place to pry.

"Why now?" he sighed as he stood up. He stood nearly a head taller than Thalia now, with his age of over eighteen and Thalia's eternal fifteen year old body. "Why not a year ago, when we just finished?"

Thalia shrugged. "Beats me. Apparently Zeus was pissed about his ass getting saved again by you guys. You know, the usual godly ego."

Thalia had always had a rocky relationship with her father, but Annabeth's death had tipped the scales completely, and not in Zeus's favor. She rarely even referred to him as "father" anymore, according to some rumors flying around here and there. Percy wasn't complaining. It was good to have one friend who could understand what he was feeling, albeit on a lesser scale.

But the solstice party...he didn't want to go. He'd have to face Zeus. He didn't want to face Zeus. He didn't want to _see_ Zeus. He was afraid of what he'd do if he _did_ see Zeus.

"I'm not going," he muttered.

"I'm afraid you have to, son of Poseidon," a new voice entered their conversation. Percy noticed the twelve year old girl with striking auburn hair and cold silver eyes approaching behind Thalia. "Father has requested-"

"Demanded," Thalia muttered, earning herself a warning look from Artemis. "Sorry, my lady."

"-that all demigods who participated in the war be present," Artemis continued. "As a part of the Seven Heroes of Olympus, your attendance is rather important and mandatory."

"I'm not going, Artemis," Percy gritted his teeth. "Tell Zeus to suck it upHe owes me that much, at least. No, he owes me a lot more than that."

Thunder rumbled warningly overhead. Artemis glanced up at the sky warily. "Father does not see eye to eye with you, unfortunately. You will wound his pride if you do not attend."

"Tell him to shove his pride up his _gluteus maximus,_ " Percy growled, flopping back down into a sitting position, not caring about dirtying his clothes he had brushed off a minute ago. "I don't want this party. I don't want to see him."

"Percy," Thalia tried. "There'll be rewards-"

"I don't care!" Percy snapped. "Lady Ar - Artemis," he amended, noticing her raised eyebrow, "Please, just tell your father to let me go. Consider that as my reward or something, I don't care. Just don't make me go to Olympus."

"Percy…" Thalia began again, but a look from Artemis quieted her. Some sort of understanding passed between them as they had a silent conversation with their eyes.

"Lieutenant, go help with the plans for Capture the Flag tonight," the goddess commanded. Thalia, to Percy's surprise, simply nodded without any further resistance and jogged off, giving Percy one last indiscernible look.

Once Thalia was safely out of earshot, Artemis, to Percy's surprise, extended a hand towards him. "Come with me, Perseus," she said, her voice betraying none of her emotions. "And let's see what we can do about your unwillingness."

"As long as you don't turn me into a jackalope," Percy muttered only half-jokingly, still looking hesitantly at the goddess's offered hand.

A smirk momentarily flickered across the moon goddess's lips before it vanished. "As much as I would like to, I'm afraid a jackalope cannot attend meetings." She glanced towards the sky as if there was a storm brewing overhead, even if the skies were blue and clear. "Come, let us retreat to somewhere more private. I would like to have a...conversation."

Percy caught onto her meaning immediately. "If you're gonna try and convince me to go, that's not happening."

Artemis sighed. "I doubt I could convince you even if I tried. You have the stubbornness of a rock. Come, it won't take long, and I would rather not discuss this in the open." She glanced up at the sky meaningfully.

Percy stared at her outstretched hand, then at her face, trying to detect any traces of deceit or trickery from her expression. As he expected, he found nothing. What did the goddess want to talk about, with _him_ of all people? Sure, he'd saved the world a few times, but to the gods, he was still just a demigod...an important one, sure, but still, just another half-blood. He'd learnt that the hard way.

Besides, he was a guy. Percy was fairly sure Artemis didn't talk to the opposite gender on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. Yet, here she was, for the second time in as many months, wanting to talk to him, and him alone.

Ah, fuck it. She had promised...well, insinuated that she wouldn't do anything bad to him, and he didn't have anything else to do, anyways. He didn't want to see the campers right now. He needed a conversation with someone who understands.

And, somehow, right now, that person was Artemis.

He took her hand and pulled himself up, his form towering over her much younger one, and let go as soon as he found his balance. He shouldn't push his luck any harder, with him already insulting Zeus and nearly shouting at Artemis just then. "Your cabin?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, my Hunters are currently occupying it. Do you have a better place?"

Hmm. A place where they wouldn't be disturbed, and a place not under the gaze of the sky. A place well protected, and comfortable to hold a conversation in. A place which he knew about.

"I guess my cabin could be a...suitable alternative?" he offered, not knowing what her reaction will be. He was practically asking the maiden goddess to spend time with him, alone, in his bedroom. He really was pushing his boundaries.

"That is fine by me." she nodded, starting to stride towards the cabins. Breathing an inward sigh of relief, Percy hurried to follow her. He was mildly impressed that she'd gone along with his suggestion - a goddess didn't just spend time in a mortal's residence, especially this goddess.

Well, she did suggest that she was the one who wanted to talk.

They must've made a strange sight, a broken demigod and an Olympian goddess, walking side by side towards the camp. Percy definitely noticed some confused looks being sent his way. He shrugged. He was used to it now.

When they finally arrived at the low, dark walls of the Poseidon cabin, glowing a gentle sea green, Percy, like any gentleman would, held open the door for the goddess.

"After you, my lady."

* * *

 _"Every good conversation starts with good listening."_

* * *

It felt strange, to have another person in his cabin again.

Understandably, of course. Tyson hadn't been here since...since forever, most likely held up by whatever responsibilities the "General of Olympus" is tasked with, and he didn't have another sibling yet. Annabeth was the only one who had been in his cabin for a reason other than residence - they used to often just cuddle up in his bunk (with Chiron's permission, of course). They even slept together, occasionally, although they never quite got to the more intimate stages of their relationship. Now that Percy thought about it, it was funny, in a sad way - a couple who survived two wars and literally went through _hell_ together, never moved past second base.

Another thing he regretted, amongst so many other things he felt they should have done, but didn't. It was ironic, really - they've gone through heaven and hell together, but was too scared to do normal couple stuff. Now they'll never have the chance again.

Having another person in his cabin - it almost felt like a gesture of some sort, a show of trust and respect for the goddess. He could only hope she felt the same.

Although, she trusted him enough to be inside his cabin, alone, with him, so that was a good sign, right? Well, obviously she was a goddess and he was no danger to her, but still…

He closed the door quietly behind Artemis, taking care to gently shut it against the doorframe as to not draw unwanted attention. He glanced at the goddess, being careful to keep his facial expression sufficiently cordial without giving too much away. The goddess's footsteps made an infinitesimal amount of noise on the dark wooden floorboards as she walked slowly around, taking in everything at once - the low, gray walls, the fountain in the middle, softly gurgling, the picture on the nightstand of Percy and Annabeth in their apartment in New Rome, grinning wildly at the camera. Their hair was all fluffed up, as if they'd just woken up, and they were in their pajamas. It couldn't have been a better picture.

Then, Percy noticed her gaze travel slowly from the nightstand towards his bunk. He froze in embarrassment and fear.

His bunk was _messy._

No, like really, really messy. Extremely messy. _Terrifyingly_ messy.

First off, his bed wasn't done. Great start.

The area around his bunk was littered in trash. Candy wrappers and old socks dominated the ground. His bedsheets were about as dirty as can be, and he had a huge stain on his pillow, probably from drooling too much in his sleep.

And Artemis was here to see it all.

He rubbed his head, feeling incredibly awkward. "Ah, well…" he began muttering. "Haven't really cleaned up today…"

From his perspective at an angle behind her, he could just pick out her skeptically raised eyebrow as she surveyed the mess known as his private space. She nudged a pair of underwear with her foot, as if it carried some sort of disease. "Plain, blue boxers?" she asked, turning to him, eyebrow still raised.

Excuse me?

Percy wasn't sure if he had misheard. Did the goddess just comment on his choice of undergarments? Artemis flushed a deep crimson as she realized what she had said. Percy might've dared to comment on her color, but judging from the heat radiating off his own face, he wasn't much better off.

"Hey, they're comfortable, okay?" he defended, hurrying around her, picking up the item of clothing and storing it away in his nightstand drawer before it could cause further embarrassment, while simultaneously willing his face to cool down. Gods, how can this conversation have started off any worse?

"Well, I wouldn't know," Artemis replied, making Percy nearly choke on air. Did the goddess just make a joke? He couldn't suppress a snigger from escaping his lips. He immediately covered his mouth, willing himself to stop laughing as to not cause offense to the goddess-

Wait.

Was that a laugh he heard?

He glanced over at Artemis to see her lips twitching and her form trembling in an effort to contain her laughter. Their eyes met, his sea green clashing mirthfully, but with a hint of wariness, with her cold silver.

A beat passed.

Simultaneously, they burst into laughter, Percy doubling over and holding his midsection as his stomach clenched painfully. Tears sprung to his eyes, but through his blurry vision he could see Artemis doing much of the same thing, perhaps a tad bit more controlled. The cabin was suddenly filled with their laughter, echoing slightly off the walls, creating an odd effect.

Their chortling slowly died off, but their mirth remained, leaving Percy gasping and panting. Artemis, being a goddess, wasn't quite as physically affected, but a smirk - almost a grin - flickered on her lips. They stood there, Percy's hands on his knees, smiling and grinning at each other.

Then a revelation struck him, wiping the smile off his face. As fast as lightning, the thought zipped through his mind, but it was there, alright, and he caught it, refusing to let it go.

He was having a laugh with the goddess of the Hunt.

He was having a laugh. With the goddess of the Hunt. The kind of laugh you would only have with friends and family. He was bantering with her, and she was bantering back, and they were both _enjoying_ it.

This was what he had been lacking. This was what he had been craving. This was the sense of normalcy which had been missing from his life. Simply sharing a joke with a friend, even if he was the butt of it. Enjoying some idle chatter. Laughing it off. A normal conversation, without any pity stares or flinches or forced expressions. This was what he needed.

And, somehow, it was Artemis, of all people, to give it to him.

Artemis must've noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere in the air. "What's wrong, Percy?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," Percy smiled. "Just, it's nice to feel happy, I guess. I needed that."

Artemis looked slightly confused, but she nodded slowly. "Then, you are welcome, I suppose." She frowned at his bunk. "Though I would prefer it if I didn't have to stare at your dirty socks every time I come in."

Every time? Does that mean...she planned to visit...more?

Percy shook the thought off. He was getting ahead of himself, however much he would like that to happen. "Sorry, my la - uh, Artemis," he corrected. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Artemis regarded him for a moment, her icy silver eyes staring straight into his soul. Strangely, he didn't feel scared, or invaded. The goddess seemed to have made herself comfortable in his comfort zone already.

"I wanted...to check on you...your state of being." She phrased her sentence carefully, Percy noted, almost as if she wanted to say something else. "How are you, Percy?"

His mental defenses instantly up, his face suddenly a blank mask, Percy replied automatically:

"I'm fine."

Artemis tilted her head. "You can't bluff your way through me, son of Poseidon. Might I remind you, my brother is the god of truths. I share his talent-" she made a sour face at admitting Apollo was useful for something, making Percy smirk slightly, despite the tense atmosphere in the room- "of detecting lies. I can tell you are not speaking the entire truth."

Well. He supposed he trusted Artemis. If he had let him into his physical walls of the Poseidon cabin, and since she'd already seen past his mental defenses once…

Another time can't hurt too much, right?

"It still hurts, I guess," he sighed. "But I'm doing better - a huge thanks to you, by the way, that talk helped me, more than I would've thought was possible at that point - better now. A lot better than when you last saw me. I guess I've accepted her passing away, and I...I'm trying to find my way back into a normal life," he finished, feeling awkward at spilling his guts out to the goddess again. But she didn't comment, her posture attentive and her eyes focused on him, and Percy found himself appreciating her patience and willingness to just _listen._ He hadn't had anyone just _listen_ to him for a while, not Jason, not Piper, not Leo, the little playboy who'd come back from being dead. It was all " _oh, Percy, I'm so sorry"_ or _"you'll be okay soon man, I promise"_ , but what he really needed was a listener. A person who could sit down and just _listen_ to him talk about his situation and feelings. A person who understood and didn't interrupt.

And somehow, that person was Artemis. Again.

"...so yeah," he continued, "I'm trying my best to get back to normal, I guess. I don't know when I'll be ready for school, or another someone in my life…" he shook his head. "But I'm rebuilding, brick by brick. The campers aren't making it easy, you know." He chuckled resignedly. "They all look at me like they're scared or stare at me pityingly. When they think I'm not paying attention, all they talk about is me and Annabeth, but when they notice me, they instantly shut up. For fuck's sake - sorry, Artemis - I can't even share a good joke with the Stolls without them asking me if I'm okay. I don't even get pranked anymore, and gods, I'm going to regret saying this, but I _miss_ getting pranked. I miss being a part of the community. It's like they're all trying too hard to make me feel better, but they're actually making it worse, y'know? I'd rather they just talk to me like before Annabeth left. I'd rather they still crack jokes when I'm around. I'd rather they didn't treat me like a porcelain doll."

"But...I guess that's kinda my fault too," he admitted. "I haven't been making it easy for them - I hope they understand - to act normal. Whenever someone says something about Annabeth being…" he barely managed to choke out the word. "...dead, I feel like I want to punch them in the face. Break something. So I just go down to the beach and calm down. Is that normal?" He cocked his head at the goddess, who was still listening, a contemplative look on her face. "I mean, I know she's gone, I know she's not coming back, but I just...can't let go. Is that normal?"

There. Done. He'd said everything he'd wanted to tell her. Now, the floor was hers. He was interested in hearing someone else's perspective - if only to make sure he wasn't even more dysfunctional than he was already - even if she might not understand. Heck, she'd never had a relationship before, right? He was placing too much expectation in her. In Percy's nineteen years of life, he had somehow managed to score one over Artemis, the - gods, how old was she anyways - multi-millennia old goddess - he's had a relationship, a great one, however terrible the ending of it was. He chuckled absently at the thought.

"I think it is."

"Uh...pardon me?" Too absorbed in his own thoughts, he mentally kicked himself for not paying attention. The goddess had just sat - stood, he supposed - through his rant, and he couldn't even repay a fraction of the amount of attention to her. He blamed it on his hyperactive mind.

"I think...no, I _know_ it is," she repeated, a bit more forcefully this time. "I know what you are thinking. You do not believe I understand. You assume that since I have not been in a relationship in my three millennia of life, that I don't understand what you speak of. Correct?"

Her silver eyes bore into him accusingly with a hint of disappointment. He remained silent, because she'd really hit home on that one. At least he knew her age roughly now.

"Romantic love...romantic love is not the only form of love, Percy," her eyes softened, just a fraction, as she continued, turning away from him slightly and began to pace slowly. "There are so many different forms of love - one of the reasons Aphrodite is so powerful, because she has such a variety of different feelings at her disposal. Maternal love, paternal love, sibling love, even just a deep friendship, all of these can affect you just as much as romantic love. I've led the Hunt for more than three thousand years, Percy." Her eyes looked faraway as she stared seemingly into space. "I've lost countless girls to the clutches of monsters, wars, accidents, you name it. Especially now, after the Giant War, the Hunt - my Hunt…" she shook her head. "Never mind that. Remember when Zoë died?" She changed the subject, and Percy nodded, content to just listen for the time being. "She has been with me since almost the beginning - and suddenly she was just _gone._ " He nodded. That he could relate to. "I was just like you, for a few months. I led the Hunt, and Thalia was - and still is - a great Lieutenant, but something was always off. I was more on edge - so much more, a mere mention of Zoë's name would've made me cold for the rest of the day. Pho - one of my girls made the mistake of mentioning her name to my face, and I...suffice to say, I was very close to erupting. The way the girls treated me, as if I could break any second - it grated on my nerves, too. But don't you see?" She turned around to face him fully once again. "It gets better, doesn't it? You are doing better, much better than the last time I saw you. Slowly, things returned to normal, more or less. I had a conversation with Hestia, and I realized...I realized nothing is permanent, not even the gods, and you have to learn to let go." Her voice took on a guarded edge at this. "I can only tell you to do the same."

Slowly, he nodded, letting the full force of her words sink in. "I guess...I'm just afraid of forgetting," he admitted. "The idea of not remembering Annabeth, it scares me, y'know? Scares me, more than Kronos, or Gaea, or even Tartarus. I'm scared one morning I'll wake up and forget her grey eyes or her blonde curls. I'm scared I'll forget her nickname for me - 'Seaweed Brain'. I'm just afraid that she'll be lost in memory."

"Then honor her memory. Talk about her, everything you loved about her. Talk about her to your friends. Be willing to engage in conversations about her. That way, you can let go, and you won't forget." Artemis smiles tentatively at him, and awkwardly put a hand on his shoulder, making him tense up for a second. She backed off hastily. "My apologies, comforting people isn't my strong suit-"

"No, no, you've helped me a lot, thank you," Percy hurriedly assured her. "I needed that just as much as I needed the first talk. Really, that was...Wow, that was amazing. Thank you."

"It is no trouble, really." Artemis turned to leave, giving him one last nod. "I shall take my leave, Percy. Remember, the best way to let go is to face down your fears, and conquer them. Do not let your fears control you." Her hand was on the doorknob as Percy called out.

"I think I'll go to the solstice."

He could almost see the smile on her face as she slipped quietly out the door.

* * *

"So, you're gonna go after all?" Thalia shook her head in amused disbelief as she let loose an arrow with a _twang_. Percy watched as the projectile streaked through the air and slammed into the bullseye with a satisfying _thunk._ "Wow. How Lady Artemis convinced a blockhead like _you_ to do something you don't want to, I'll never know."

Percy faked a gasp, putting his hand over his heart melodramatically. "That hurts right there, Thalia." Becoming serious, he added, "And she didn't convince me to do something I don't want to. She convinced me to want to do said thing."

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Even impressive-er," she said, hitting another bullseye. They stood together in comfortable silence, Percy watching Thalia hit more bullseyes, both content to just enjoy their best friend's company.

"So, the Hunt going to beat us again at Capture the Flag again?" Percy joked. Instead of the usual jab Thalia would've thrown back at him, she hesitated.

"Yeah," she replied after a second. "Yeah, we are."

"Hey, what's wrong, Thals?" Percy frowned at her concernedly. "Is everything okay with the Hunt?"

Thalia shouldered her bow and turned to look at him, as if contemplating whether to slap him or explain. Fortunately, she settled on the latter. "The Hunt is...going through a difficult time, Percy," she admitted.

"What?" Percy blinked. "Why? Can I help?"

"No," Thalia shook her head. "But it's looking pretty bad, Percy. The war...well, the Hunters really had it bad. We lost almost all our girls to the giant Reyna killed, Orion, including a lot of the veterans who'd been with Artemis for centuries or even millennia. Phoebe, Atlanta...and now, even after a year, we've only got eight girls. Recruiting has been really tough, because a lot of maidens just get scared off when we tell them we just went through a war. One of the reasons we came to Camp so early...Artemis and I thought it was too risky to stay in the wild." She made a pained expression. "I don't think...I don't think we're going to win this time."

Well...shit. Percy knew the Hunt suffered a lot of casualties, but he didn't realize it was _this_ bad. The last time he'd paid attention to the Hunt, during the Battle of Manhattan, they had more than two dozen Hunters. If they only had eight now…

"Anything I can do?" he offered. He didn't know why. He supposed he felt he owed Artemis for her talks with him.

"No, nothing for the Hunters, I'm afraid." Thalia sighed, leaning on her bow heavily. But she suddenly raised her head, as if she got an idea. "But maybe...maybe you can talk to Artemis?"

"Talk to Artemis?" Percy wasn't sure if he had misheard. "I mean, I guess we're on speaking terms, but...why?"

"Something's wrong with Artemis, Percy." Thalia looked about as troubled as he'd ever seen her be. "She's been more distant, she hasn't talked a lot to us, not even to me. You know, today is the first day she's been with the Hunt for nearly a week. And it's not helping us, Percy. The few new recruits we have don't see her as who I know - we know - she is. They don't have that bond to her that keeps the Hunt together. And the worst part is-" She scowled, as if extremely annoyed. "The worst part is, she doesn't seem to care. She doesn't talk, she doesn't organize hunts like she used to, she doesn't try and spend time with the new ones. Something's wrong with her, Percy, and I thought...I thought, since you two have been kind of close, that she might talk to you."

Percy was about to reply with an absolute _no!_ Why would Artemis talk to him, instead of her Hunters? They've had a grand total of around five interactions, only two of these really mattering. Why would she choose a near stranger over, say, her Lieutenant?

But something made him hesitate. This was what happened to him, wasn't it? He let a total stranger inside his walls. He had needed help, and Artemis had been there for him. It was time to repay the favor.

"I'll try my best," he promised. "I can't guarantee she'll listen or anything, but I'll try my best."

Thalia smiled at him, grateful and looking as if the world had been taken off her shoulders - and believe him or not, Percy knew what that felt like. "Thanks, Kelp Head. I owe you one."

"Two."

She grinned at him. "One and a half."

And for a moment, Percy could almost believe everything was normal - just sharing a joke with his best friend, without a care in the world. He could almost believe everything was fine.

It was progress. And that night's dinner, he made sure to sacrifice a big hamburger to the goddess who helped him make it, along with a few fries and a packet of blue jellybeans, just for good measure.

 _Thanks, Artemis. I promise I'll repay you soon._


	3. Scars and Stars

_It's been a while since I've updated this story. In my defense, it is much longer than my usual chapters and a little harder to write, or at least I felt it was. Hopefully it is worth the wait._

* * *

" _I have to believe people can change, otherwise I defy the Gospel, and I will not do that." - Randall Terry_

 **3**

Nothing could quite compare to the sheer magnificence of the home of the gods.

It's been more than two years since Percy had last visited Mount Olympus - ever since the end of the Titan War. The city then had been dark, desolate and empty - as close to abandoned as was possible. He shuddered, recalling the scenes of absolute destruction as Kronos's scythe tore through the temples and statues, scenes of the Titan Lord reducing the beautiful architecture to pieces of rubble flashing through his mind.

Much has changed since the Second Titanomachy - many of it thanks to _her._ As the Official Architect of Olympus, Annabeth had spent many of her waking hours right here, where she could get a better visual representation of the layout of the mountain. Percy never knew much about her expeditions to Olympus - all he could get out of her was "planning and designing". She had been extremely secretive - excessively so, Percy thought - but he'd always figured that she wanted the final result to be a surprise to everybody.

He recalled memories of him, standing alongside her in New York after the Party Ponies saved the day. Chiron had just cantered off, leaving them alone in the middle of the New York streets…

" _What I'm saying...I_ hate _it when people let me down, when things are temporary." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I think that's why I want to be an architect."_

" _To build something permanent," Percy guessed. "A monument to last a thousand years."_

She would never get that chance now, he thought bitterly. Hopefully, Hades had seen some of her works and decided to let her redesign the Underworld. At least that way, she'd be able to fulfill one of her lifelong dreams...somewhat.

Shaking his head free of the morbid thoughts, he again focused his attention onto the city. As much as they reminded him painfully of Annabeth, he had to admit the mountain looked better than ever. Gardens and orchards bloomed with flowers of a hundred, vivid colors, filling the air with a myriad of fragrant aromas. Bees and butterflies dove into the petals as they seeked out the sweet pollen of the blossoms. Statues of various deities - some unclothed, unfortunately - lined the steps leading towards the mountaintop, and the merchants on the side of the streets were so excessively enthusiastic he couldn't help but smile in amusement as he bought a Demeter special from the salad bar - it tasted fresh and sweet, nothing short of what he'd expected. And of course, the palaces of the resident gods glittered with their unique auras - an overly pink, dollhouse-like mansion for Aphrodite, a luxurious golden castle shining as bright as the sun for Apollo, and a simple yet elegant silver house for Artemis. The whole place radiated life and happiness - a polar opposite to the silent atmosphere of trepidation he had personally witnessed just a few years ago.

As beautiful as the scenery around him was, Percy wasn't here simply to appreciate his surroundings. He had a few things he needed to do - a plan to carry out and a promise to keep. Any time soon, the council of the Olympians would convene, and the demigods would be called into the throne room for their rewards. All of the Greek Pantheon - barring the traitors from the last war - would be present. _All_ of them.

If all went to plan, Zeus, with the council's favor, would offer the Seven the ultimate reward. If all went to plan, Percy would decline, and he would get another gift of his choice. If all went to plan…

"You came, after all," a familiar voice broke him out of his trance. A small smile crept its way onto his face as he caught her familiar auburn hair in the corner of his eye. He wasn't going to lie, he had missed the company of the silver goddess. His feeling of closeness with Artemis was a little strange - he'd never had a good relationship with any gods other than his father - and probably a little unfounded - they only talked twice in the past two _months_ , for Hades's sake - but he believed that they were at least on cordial terms. He could only hope she felt the same.

"Yeah, I did," he said, still staring off into space. "I don't go back on my word."

"Hmm," she hummed. "You looked like you were thinking, which is surprising. I didn't know you can think."

"Hey! I take offense to that," Percy complained, turning to face her fully. The goddess didn't follow his example, instead preferring to continue to gaze at the mountaintop, her auburn locks fluttering in the breeze. She laughed softly, a sound he didn't realize how much he had missed until he heard it again, even if it's only been a week.

Gods, he sounded like such a lovesick schoolboy, but he didn't mean it _that_ way. He just missed her company...in the way a friend would. Yes, a friend. Can he even call them that?

The sound of her voice drew him back into the present. "I know," she smirked, although it seemed slightly forced. He wondered why. Ignoring Percy's mock outraged look, she changed the subject, her silver eyes twinkling with curiosity as she turned her head to face him. "May I ask what you were contemplating, Percy?"

He purses his lips, silently debating whether he should tell her his plan or not. On one hand, it was daring. Crazy. Borderline insane. She probably wouldn't support it.

On the other hand, she knew pretty much everything already, so…

Ah, for fuck's sake. He'll just be honest. Isn't that the course of action a _hero_ like him should take, anyways? The honorable way?

Sometimes, he hated being a hero.

When he finished explaining, Artemis's expression was completely unreadable, which didn't exactly help his confidence.

"So, to sum it up, you have a ridiculously idiotic plan." She raised an eyebrow. "And you want me to support you with said plan."

"Not exactly support," Percy corrected. "I know that's probably asking too much, and you can't defy Zeus too much. I want you to...to not object it, I guess."

Artemis's silver eyes bore into his. "You do not need more enmity from the Council, son of Poseidon. This is an ill-advised ploy, and for what purpose? Revenge? It will do more harm than good for you, I can guarantee that."

"I know."

" _A man who studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green."_ Artemis warned. "You cannot fix yourself by hurting others. This is a bad decision however you look at it."

"I'm well aware," Percy said, refusing to drop his gaze. "But I need this, Artemis. I'm sick and tired of-" he swallowed. "I'm sick and tired of gods committing crimes and getting away with them so easily. I'm sick and tired of Zeus abusing his power. And I guess it's a sort of closure for me too," he added. "To know that I at least got back at him _somehow..._ it puts my heart to rest, sort of."

Artemis stared at him, and Percy realized what he just said could be considered as very offensive.

One second passed.

Two.

Three.

"I won't be in your way, Perseus," she finally said. "But I will not be supporting you. You are on your own."

Percy sighed, whether in relief or disappointment, he didn't know. "I guess that's all I can ask for. Thank you, Artemis."

"If that is all, I'd better hurry to the meeting." Artemis's body began to shine with golden light.

"Wait-" Percy tried, but he was too late. She was already gone. "Damn it," he swore. That was his chance to talk to her alone, and he'd blew it. And now God knows how long it will be until he got her alone again.

On the flip side, he had a feeling she wasn't exactly pleased with his plan. He probably pushed his luck enough already.

"Percy?" he turned around to see Piper stepping out from the elevator, hand in hand with Jason. "Was that-"

"Yes, it was," he interrupted flatly.

"Percy...I don't like the look on your face." Piper's kaleidoscope eyes studied him, as if trying to pick his plan out from his brain. "You look…"

"...like you're going to do something either extremely brave or extremely stupid," Jason finished.

"Don't worry, Grace," Percy kept his voice carefully neutral. He'd perfected that skill over the past few months. "It's nothing."

Glasses flashing in the light of the city, Jason frowned at him, unconvinced. "Nothing. Right. Whatever you're going to do at the council...I hope you know exactly _what_ , Percy."

Percy smirked at him. He probably looked like an unhinged madman right now, and that was confirmed by Jason's sudden step back.

"Don't I ever, Grace. Don't I ever."

* * *

" _If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?" - William Shakespeare_

* * *

"...and for his part in the war, Dionysus's current sentence at Camp Half-Blood will be shortened to ten years…"

"...as per Hazel Levesque's request, Hecate's probation is to be terminated and she will be granted with a palace on Olympus, along with new servants who will no longer have donkey legs…"

"...for her treason, Khione will be stripped of her powers for a period of one decade and serve as an ice-cream vendor on Olympus, where she will be kept under careful observation…"

"...due to Frank Zhang's bravery in the war, his curse shall be lifted, and the firewood will no longer be his lifeline…"

The majority of the meeting passed by in a blur.

Percy stared off into space, his mind miles away as Zeus listed off various rewards and punishments. He wasn't worried about missing one of his own; he had none, save for the ultimate one. To him, the rewards were about as interesting as a math textbook. There was nothing of any importance to him within the document on the iPad Zeus was presumably reading off of. There was only one thing he wanted, and the Laws of Death have dashed any hopes of that thing ever being granted.

All he had to do was wait.

His gaze traveled around the throne room. Most of the gods looked about as interested as he was in the proceedings, only standing up or nodding when their own children or themselves were involved. Apollo had his head leaned back against his throne's headrest, his sunglasses disguising his presumably closed eyes as he hummed along to his iPod. Aphrodite was trying to draw makeup onto Demeter's face, but vines kept swatting her hands away. Poseidon was absently twirling his trident around, which would explain the humidity in the air. A crab leapt off of his Tommy Bahamas shirt and made it two steps away before erupting in a miniature geyser of seawater.

His eyes landed on Athena. The wisdom goddess looked as cold and unmoving as ever, her arms and legs crossed as she listened (or pretended to) to Zeus's droning. He noticed Zeus's gaze always flickering to his daughter when he spoke of matters related to her before hastily averting away. No doubt she's given Zeus a piece of her mind after the Annabeth incident, but she looked as calm and composed as ever. Has she gotten over her so quickly already, her daughter who saved her statue before falling into Tartarus because of it? The daughter who she sent on a suicide mission?

He quickly wiped his rapidly forming scowl off his face before anyone noticed. He had to have his emotions in check. He didn't want his plan to be foiled because of himself.

"...and now, for the final reward of the heroes of the Prophecy, who were instrumental in the defeat of Gaea and her Giant spawns. The Seven who sailed to the Ancient Lands on the _Argo II,_ step forward."

The room fell silent. So silent, Percy could hear a pin drop if he wanted to. He felt the thousands of eyes of everyone in the throne room upon him - the demigods, the minor gods in attendance, satyrs, nymphs, and the Olympians. Jason, hand in hand with Piper, lead the group towards the center of the throne room, with Frank and Hazel close behind. Percy brought up the rear with Leo in front of him. He had to make sure he was last. In case this didn't work out, he wanted to minimize the potential collateral damage.

First, they bowed to all the gods. Then, they knelt at the foot of Zeus's throne. Percy gritted his teeth and stiffly got down on one knee. As much as he hated it, he needed to play along for now.

"Rise, heroes." Slowly, deliberately, Percy stood. He was pleased to see Zeus's nostrils flare in annoyance. He noticed from his peripheral vision some concerned looks from his friends.

"Seven - er, six great heroes must be rewarded." Zeus's eyes flickered over to Athena hesitantly. He sounded like he was trying to swallow a brick, but Percy couldn't tell whether it was because he was scared of his daughter or the fact that he had to admit for his ass to being saved by them mere demigods. _Again._ "Are there any objections?"

Yeah, yeah, formalities. Percy discreetly rolled his eyes. As if anyone would dare to disagree with a decision which had obviously been discussed already.

"The Council agrees." A wave of déjà vu washed over Percy. It was almost as if the whole scene was a movie script, and aside from a few minor changes here and there - the amount of characters, the tension in the room - it was almost as if he was reliving his moment in front of the gods, after the battle with Kronos. "Heroes of Olympus, you will all have one gift from the gods…"

 _They're not even trying,_ Percy thought bitterly. _It's as if they picked the speech right out of the trash can and changed my name to the Seven. If you're going to make me come, at least make it slightly less of a waste of time._

"...but should you choose to turn down said gift, you will all have a single request of your choice granted as long as it is reasonable and within our power." Ha, that's clever. Taking the initiative, as to not get embarrassed again by mere demigods. The subtle glare Zeus sent in his direction confirmed who was to blame for that.

"What...what gift would that be, Lord Zeus?" Piper asked hesitantly.

Zeus's eyes brightened, the way it always does when he is angry or being overly dramatic. "The greatest gift of all, girl," he said. "The gods have not bestowed such a gift on a mortal hero for centuries...of course, _one_ of you here have had the choice already." Cue glare in Percy's direction. "If you all wish for it, it shall be yours."

Percy rolled his eyes. God of theatrics…

"Immortality," Zeus announced. "You shall be made a god. Immortal. Undying. Eternally powerful. You shall serve as your parents' lieutenants for all time."

The heroes tensed, minus Percy, who stood as relaxed as ever with his hands dangling at his sides. He already had his answer. Hell, he had a lot more than an answer. He had a plan. The rest weren't so fortunate...or unfortunate, depending on their perspective.

"Well?" Zeus glowered down at them. "Your answers?"

Jason glanced around the group, then stepped forwards. "Father, we wish to have some time to ourselves to discuss your generous gift, if you would allow it."

Zeus thought about it. "Fine. You may have five minutes. You may come in separately should you arrive at different decisions. I hope not," Percy heard him mutter under his breath.

Jason looked dissatisfied, but he probably realized it was the best deal he was going to get, so he hurriedly bowed and lead the way out of the throne room, everyone following close behind. Percy lingered for a second. He could give his answer now, of course. But in case Zeus blew up, he didn't want to ruin anyone else's day.

Turning around, he quickly jogged to catch up with the group. He could almost feel Zeus's burning gaze on his back as he stepped out the doors.

* * *

"Well?" Leo fished a few nuts and bolts out of his toolbelt and started fidgeting. "What y'all think about this godly immortality gig?"

"First of all…" Jason began. "I know we might all have different stances on this... _reward."_ He glanced at Percy, who shrugged. "I just want to say, whatever anyone decides, we support them. We don't alienize them for their decision. All in favor?"

Everyone nodded. "Aye, Superman," Leo did a mock salute. "We'll all stick with each other, right? No matter what we decide."

"Right," Percy said. "I just want to get this out of the way. I'm not going to accept."

"Really?" Frank frowned. "Personally, me and Hazel are thinking about it. Living forever, being a god...it sounds nice."

"Are you sure, Percy?" Piper asked, her kaleidoscope eyes trying to read his face. "You've already rejected one chance before, right? And that was because...well, you know." She made an uncertain gesture towards the ground. "Are you sure that it's not because of her that you're holding yourself-"

"This hasn't got anything to do with Annabeth, Piper," Percy interrupted. Granted, she made a good point, but he had his decision already. "I'm not being emotional. Well, I kind of am, but not for her. I suppose you could call it...emotionally practical?" He scanned the group with his eyes, making sure they had his attention. He was the only one who had experienced this before, and he wanted them to see his side before they made any drastic moves. "Annabeth's death made me think a lot." He shrugged at the other's slightly shocked looks that he used the word _death_ in the same sentence as _Annabeth_. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But it's been some time now, and I'm trying to move on. Accepting her death is the first part." He cleared his throat. "Anyways. As you all know, I've been offered immortality before. And I rejected it. At the time, it was because Annabeth couldn't be with me if I did. Now, this isn't a problem for most of you...except for Leo." He gestured towards Frank and Hazel's joined hands. "You all have this...this offer and could be with each other for eternity...or at least a very long time." He paused. "But I want you to think of everyone else. After Annabeth died, I had a lot of time alone. At times it was to grieve, and at times it was to think. What would immortality be like? What does it give to you and take away from you?" He took a breath. "And I realized this. It wasn't just Annabeth holding me back. It was everyone else. Everyone at Camp Half-blood and now Camp Jupiter as well, my family, my mom, stepdad, my unborn baby sister. And I would've lost all that in exchange for immortality." He looked around to see that they've all got it. "Immortality isn't free. It comes with a price. Your freedom. Seeing your loved ones die as you remain young and healthy and worshipped. I don't think I can go through that, and…" he shrugged. "I think being mortal is a small price to pay in exchange for all the freedom and joys a mortal life can offer."

A hush fell over the group as they processed his mini-speech. Percy felt a little embarrassed, but he said what needed to be said. Now it was all up to them.

"Wow, Percy. That was...wow. Just wow. And I thought I was the speaker here." Piper clapped a few times.

"Yeah, that was pretty amazing, Jackson." Jason agreed.

"Aw, you make me blush, Grace."

"Shut up."

The appearance of a note in their midst indicates that their time was up. Jason scowled at it.

"Well?" he was trying to keep it light hearted, Percy could tell. "Everyone ready to make the biggest decision any mortal's ever had to make?"

"As ready as ever, Sparky." Piper leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Which is to say, not ready at all."

Percy noticed that Leo had his head down, a small frown on his face. "Valdez," he called. "You alright?"

"Huh?" Leo's head shot up. He blinked and grinned, but Percy thought it looked a little forced. "Yeah, no problemo here. Just thinking…"

Percy studied him, but decided it was none of his business. "Yeah, whatever you say, man. Jason, Pipes, you two going in first?"

"Do we have a choice?"

"Not really."

* * *

Percy stood in the shadows of a column as he listened in on the events happening within the throne room. A frown adorned his face as a heated argument broke out between Leo and the King of the Gods.

"You have already accepted godhood. You cannot go back now!" Zeus snapped.

"I said I'd accept it _if_ Calypso gets it too!" Huh. Percy never really figured out how Calypso's immortality worked. He supposed once she left her island, her immortality stayed behind. It made sense that Leo was fighting for it…although he questioned his decision to accept immortality. Each man to his own, he supposed.

"We cannot simply make another mortal immortal!" Zeus snarled. "Especially to an individual who's done nothing for Olympus. At all!"

"She helped the heroes _you_ all sent to her! _You_ all made her heart break a million times! Odysseus! Percy! Me!" Percy winced. Touché. He regretted not following up on the gods' pact to free her, even if he didn't know how to, and when she'd come back with Leo he had immediately tried to apologize. She didn't blame him, but still, he felt like he failed. "Hasn't she helped you enough, suffered _enough_ over the past few millennia to at least have her _birthright_ back?"

"It is not so simple, boy!" Zeus sounded like he was about to blow a fuse. "She is - was a Titaness with no loyalty whatsoever to Olympus. Besides, what would she be the goddess of? She had no domains even before her immortality faded!"

"Then I take my answer back!" Leo shouted. "I don't want your stupid immortality. I don't need it."

"No," Zeus snapped. "You have accepted, and I _will_ make you immortal. One Percy Jackson's already enough of a pain-" A cough from Poseidon. "-I won't have another mere _demigod_ defy the greatest generosity the gods could ever offer you. You _will_ become immortal, one way or another."

Percy could tell Leo needed a solution, and fast. He wanted to be with Calypso forever. But he mainly wanted to be with Calypso. Immortality...well, Zeus was a good example of a typical disaster when it comes to relationships. He scowled. This was all going wrong! _He_ was the one supposed to be pissing Zeus off. Zeus sounded dangerously pissed off right now, and Leo was in a very dangerous situation.

"Hephaestus!" Zeus boomed. "Restrain your son!"

That was the final straw. He _had_ to do something about this. He owed Leo and Calypso that much, at least. And if it means not carrying through his plan...well, he'd choose a friend over a Zeus with his panties in a twist anyday.

He too a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

He stepped through the doors to the throne room. Everyone looked as tense as a bowstring drawn back and ready to be released. All the minor gods, nymphs, satyrs, and demigods looked terrified, squishing against each other as they tried to shrink away from the Olympians and Zeus's rage. Hephaestus, in his human form, had Leo in a bear hug, who in turn was trying to whack his father with a hammer, but he was no match for the Olympian's godly strength.

Well. It was now or never.

"I'm sorry, boy-" Hephaestus grunted.

"Stop." Instantly, all eyes became trained on him. Zeus's head snapped up, his electric blue eyes shining dangerously. Athena narrowed her eyes at him. Artemis stared at him in bewilderment. No doubt she thought he would carry through with his plan. The only one who didn't look too surprised was his father.

Percy steeled himself. This was for his friends. "This isn't right."

"This isn't right?" Zeus sounded dangerously calm. "This isn't _right?_ " His voice rose. "This mere boy not only defies our gift now, but he had the audacity to demand for a damn Titaness to be made immortal? I will not tolerate such insolence. You will step out and wait your turn, Percy Jackson, unless you-"

"Then I give away my immortality," Percy announced, his voice loud and firm. "I gift my offer of immortality to Calypso. That is my wish."

Silence reigned in the halls. The Olympians looked incredulous. So did all of the minor gods, nymphs, and satyrs. The only ones not surprised were the demigods. Percy supposed it did seem like a him thing to do - something stupid, reckless, foolhardy, but somehow noble at the same time. He gave a genuine, bright grin towards his friends.

"Percy…" Leo stared at him. "You would really do that? You would really give up any gift for me and Calypso? You-"

"Shut up, Valdez." Percy rolled his eyes. "Yes, I would do that for you. You're my friend, right?"

Leo looked like he was about to pass out. "Uh...right. Yeah. I'm your friend."

"Wait. Hold on just a second." Ares scowled, pointing at Percy. "This punk's just got the offer to be a god _again,_ and he's giving it away like...like some birthday gift? This can't seriously be your wish, Jackson-"

"Ares, be quiet," Poseidon commanded. "My boy, is this what you want? Are you sure you would not accept immortality, or at least some other gift? As much as some of us-" he glanced at Zeus. "-would not like to acknowledge it, we owe you a great deal. Surely-"

"Please, father." Percy cut him off. "Like I said last time, immortality isn't my thing. I'd hate to be frozen in time when I haven't even passed high school. As for my wish, I've put it out there. I'd hate to raise Leo's hopes up and crush it again." He glanced at Zeus. "Unless, of course, _someone_ decides to crush it themself."

"Percy Jackson." Athena narrowed her grey eyes at him. Percy winced. He could see Annabeth in her gaze, except there was no love there - only cold calculations and suspicion. "I find this hard to believe. Giving away immortality? I find it impossible that someone in their right mind would do such a thing."

Percy shrugged. "Well, it wasn't really part of my original plan…" he glanced at Artemis. "I was going to have some fun with my wish. But you guys just had to crash my party, didn't you? So now we're here." He gestured to Leo. "Look, Leo deserves this. He literally died once for Calypso, which, by the way, it was all of _you_ guys' fault for not releasing her. She was born an immortal. It's her birthright, as Leo said. I'm simply returning what's rightfully hers."

Zeus looked like steam was about to shoot out from his ears. No doubt his ego took a huge hit from a demigod rejecting immortality, then _another_ one not only rejecting it but giving it _away._ "The Council will vote on this," he growled. "All in favor-"

"No." Percy interrupted. "I was granted one wish within your power should I reject immortality. That's my wish. There's no council vote on this matter." Zeus opened his mouth to object, but Percy was on a roll. "Listen up, Zeus." He glared at the god of the skies. "You owe me. A lot. For saving your ass and Olympus's ass many times over. I was going to let it go until you fucked up big-time and killed my girlfriend. There wasn't even a body to bury or cremate." His voice cracked, just a bit, and his eyes stung with tears threatening to overflow, but he went on, blinking furiously. "You know how completely fucking bullshit that is? To go through all this crap together, Kronos, Gaea, Tartarus, only to have your god damn _uncle_ kill her?" He wiped his eyes. "When I came here, I was going to shove your offer in your face and make you apologize in front of the whole Greek pantheon. Sounds terrifying, huh? Apologizing to a mere _demigod._ " He snorted. "But of course you had to fuck up again with _this_ load of Minotaur shit and I had to change my plans mid-ceremony. Well, here's an ultimatum, Zeus. Grant my wish, or don't and I _will_ make you apologize to me in front of everybody. That's in your power, right? I'd hate to see you humiliated...nah, who am I kidding. I'd love to see that. But you're off the hook if you give Calypso her immortality...kinda, I'd still hate you a lot though. Take the deal or leave it."

He paused to catch his breath. "Please, you've fucked up my life already. Don't fuck up another one."

It was crude. It was foul. It was far from inspiring. But it seemed to do the trick, because it had shocked the whole room into completely and utter silence. The Olympians looked stunned out of their minds. Apollo had taken off his headphones. The red hot fire behind Ares's sunglasses died down to a mere flicker. Dionysus, for once, looked totally concentrated. Even Athena's iron cold facade had broken down, and she was leaned forwards in her throne, her grey irises staring at Percy with a new intensity, as if he was a completely new person she'd never met before. He doubted that anyone, throughout the gods' millennia-long history, had ever dared to scold Zeus, much less in front of the whole pantheon.

Well, he was all about doing the supposedly impossible. Percy glanced at his father, who couldn't quite hold back a small, proud grin as he winked at him from atop his throne. At least his father would support him.

He noticed Artemis, who gave him a simple nod of approval. Somehow, that meant a lot to him, knowing that she was in favor of his position and would back it up if needed. He tried his best to send her a discreet nod, but it was difficult while he was being stared at by the whole Greek pantheon.

Finally, Zeus spoke. "You - _dare-_ "

"Brother," Poseidon interrupted. "Your arrogance blinds you. He is rightfully, ah, aggrieved. And he is also right."

"This is absolutely _ridiculous_!" Zeus snarled. "Did this mere demigod spawn of yours just hand me, the King of the Gods, an _ultimatum?_ "

"Well," Hermes coughed. "He did save Olympus a few times. More than a few times, in fact. A lot of times, that is to say."

"Hermes, are you _defending_ him?" Zeus glared at his son, who suddenly looked very interested at something on his phone. " _THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE OUTRAGE!_ I will not let Percy Jackson order us around like simple servants!" His gaze snapped to Athena. "Daughter, surely you see some sense-"

"Pardon me, Lord Zeus." Athena interrupted coldly, and Zeus, however slightly, flinched. She didn't call him Father as she normally does, Percy noted. Evidently, there's been a rift between Zeus and his favorite daughter. Her cool gaze turned onto him, but Percy refused to shrink back. She stared at him for a good few seconds...

Then nodded. "I see." Her eyes snapped sharply back towards Zeus. "As I was saying, Lord Zeus…

Percy held his breath. Rift or not, Athena was Zeus's chief adviser, strategist, and favorite child, and everyone else on the council more or less respected her. Whichever side she takes...well, her word held a lot of weight.

"Normally, I would advise against this. Personal feelings have no place in the making of a critical decision, and Percy Jackson's...proposal, shall I say, perhaps can be seen as an insult and blasphemy..." Percy's heart raised to his throat. Is there a "but" coming...?

"But," Athena smiled humorlessly. "Perhaps just this once, I will go with my heart and not my intellect. Sorry, father dearest, but...I move we accept his conditions. You know why," she added, almost as an afterthought, even though it was definitely anything but. Athena never did anything unintentionally. She was a master with her words, a silver-tongued genius, and she striked where it hurt most. Judging from Zeus's flinch, Percy figured that had hurt plenty.

Taking advantage of Zeus's moment of hesitation, Poseidon took over. "All in favor?"

"There shouldn't be a vote!" Percy snapped. "My wish is my own, and it should be granted-" he halted at the look his father gave him.

 _Trust me, son._ He swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. Poseidon gestured for the vote to continue.

Percy's heart pounded like a bass drum as he glanced around the room. Poseidon had his hand raised high, of course. So did Athena, Hermes, Aphrodite, Ares (surprisingly), Apollo, and...

"Sis?" Apollo called. Artemis had her hand firmly raised. "You're supporting Percy? He's a guy…"

"Whom I owe my life to," Artemis replied calmly, voice unwavering. "Many times over. We all do."

"...I suppose so."

"It's not a 'suppose so', brother dearest," Artemis raised an eyebrow. "It's a fact." She turned back towards Percy. "The motion is passed with a vote of seven to five. Percy Jackson shall have his gift of immortality revoked and given to Calypso."

Poseidon nodded, trying to keep a straight face. "Council dismissed. Let the solstice party commence! Well done, demigods-" But Percy couldn't hear the rest, because everyone was cheering, and it sounded so loud that it almost broke his eardrums, and everyone was laughing and smiling and he was being swept up in hugs by Leo and showered in kisses on the cheek by Calypso and gods, he was actually kinda _happy-_

"Ohmygods ohmygods thank you thank you _thank you thankyou,"_ Leo squeezed him so tight Percy thought he could've been Tyson. "You know what, Aquaman, you're the absolute frickin' _best._ Ask me for anything, a shield, magical armor, laser bazookas-"

"I ask you to stop calling me Aquaman, Valdez," Percy interrupted. "Although a laser bazooka sounds pretty tempting."

"I knew you would come through," Calypso cried into his shoulder. "I shouldn't have ever doubted you, Percy. When I was still trapped on the island, I thought - I thought - and when they said I couldn't be with Leo forever, I was so scared - but I shouldn't have ever doubted you-"

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Percy rubbed her back awkwardly. He hasn't gotten hugged like this in - in months. It felt strange, someone other than Annabeth and his mother hugging him. "I'm the one to blame here. I didn't make sure that the gods followed up on their oath-"

"Nonsense, man," Leo snorted and patted Calypso, which gave Percy a chance to disengage the hug. "She wouldn't have met me otherwise. And I'm her Super-sized McShizzle, right?" Calypso punched Leo's chest, but if her playful scowl was anything to go by, he'd say she was pretty darn happy. Percy grinned and fist-bumped the elfish boy, the soon-to-be immortal couple wandering off to get some refreshments, leaving Percy alone with his thoughts. History was just made, he supposed. The gift of immortality not only being rejected but given away. Athena and Artemis siding against their father. A demigod's demands taken over Zeus's wishes, overruled by a general consensus. A former Titan regaining her immortality.

It's been a crazy night.

"Well played, Perseus." He turned to see Athena, dressed in a grey T-shirt and jeans, her grey eyes as intimidating as ever. "You seem to have a way with words. Perhaps you are smarter than I give you credit for."

Percy shrugged, fighting down the swirling hurricane of emotions which threatened to erupt from inside him when he saw those familiar grey eyes. "Maybe, but I didn't have a script or anything like that. It was all spontaneous, so don't give me _too_ much credit for planning this, because it wasn't planned-"

"Ah." Athena raised a finger. He was rambling, he realized. "That's where you're wrong. The ability to speak and persuade instinctively is something to cherish, and to have the capacity and courage to express yourself so rawly in front of the whole pantheon is something I...I did not foresee you being able to do." She grimaced. "You somehow keep surprising me more and more, Perseus Jackson."

"Unpredictability is one of my distinguishing traits?" Percy offered, unsure of how to respond to that. A veiled compliment, it seemed like, although he couldn't be sure.

"Perhaps." Athena turned to leave.

"Wait!" Percy called. Athena turned, an eyebrow cocked. He swallowed. "Listen, I just want to say...sorry. For Annabeth. For not protecting her well enough."

"You have nothing to apologize for." Athena turned to leave. Percy barely caught the wobble in her voice.

"But I could've done better. Maybe if I stopped her from going on that plane, or cancelled the flight, or _something,_ maybe she wouldn't have died-"

"Perseus. Look at me." Percy stared with tear-blurred eyes into Athena's. "There was absolutely nothing you could have done. The circumstances of her death were unforeseeable. I'm over three and a half thousand years old, I've seen many of my children come and go, Homer, Louis Kahn, George Washington...but this one pained me the most." She stopped, and swallowed, and Percy realized how hard this was for her. Beneath her facade of iron, she was just a stricken mother grieving for her child. "I can only imagine how hard it was for you."

The meaning behind her words took a moment to sink in. Then, his brain clicked, and…

Oh. _Oh._

Athena, who has never approved of their relationship and always doubted whether Percy's love for her daughter was strong enough, just hinted that the pain he felt - was feeling - was greater than what she was experiencing. It was a little late, the subtle stamp of approval, but it meant the world to Percy, to have the blessing from Annabeth's mother, even if it wouldn't make a difference anymore.

"Thanks." His voice was hoarse, and his mouth felt thick. "Thank you."

Athena nodded once, her eyes rimmed with red. Then she was gone.

Percy wandered the party grounds, looking for Artemis, grabbing a few refreshments here and there. He even shared some smiles and laughs with his friends. After that talk, it felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. It was a reassurance from Annabeth's mother that there was absolutely nothing he could have done. While it didn't change anything, it made him feel better. Immensely better.

He was still looking for the goddess when-

"That was quite the show you put on there, son." A hand patted him on the shoulder. Percy turned to come face to face with Poseidon, a goblet of nectar in his hands, the lines around the corner of his eyes crinkling with a smile. "Well done."

Percy looked down, abashed. "It was nothing, Dad. I just did what was right."

"That's what sets you apart from everyone else, isn't it?" Poseidon sipped from his goblet. "The ability to do what's right all the time takes courage, Percy. More than most have."

"I _don't_ always do what's right," Percy argued. "I make mistakes. I do stupid things, and it's cost people their lives." _Lives lost forever._ "I'm not the perfect hero, Dad. I won't ever be."

"We don't need you to be perfect, son," Poseidon patted him on the back. "We need you to be _you._ So far, it's worked out quite well for us. Nobody's perfect, Percy, especially not us gods. Perfection is boring. Everyone makes mistakes. We've made plenty in our long lives, and some of us are trying to patch them up. I've been trying to integrate some of my...less welcomed sons and daughters into the family. The difference is whether you try or not." He smiled a fatherly smile down at him. "Got it?"

Percy swallowed, and nodded. "I'll...I'll keep that in mind."

"Good." Poseidon cocked his head, as if listening to the air. A scowl formed on his face. "Kymlopeia's stirring up the lake and frightening the naiads again. I better go see what that's about." He winked at Percy. "See you, son. And always know which fish are big enough to catch, eh?" He dissolved into fine mist, leaving Percy alone to ponder his last words. It was nearly identical to what he told him at the end of the Titan War. Percy still didn't know what it meant.

He suddenly felt tired...exhausted, even, but the good kind. The kind of exhaustion one experienced after a taxing workout, which he had done, in a sense. Just mentally, instead of physically. He was about to turn and leave when-

"Punk."

Percy inwardly sighed. "Ares. What do you want?"

Ares snorted. "Nothing. War's over, what could I want?"

Percy rolled his eyes, exasperated. "So why are you talking to me?"

Ares bared his teeth at him, his sunglasses barely concealing the red flames behind them. "I do what I want, punk. Listen, Jackson…" he shifted, looking uncomfortable. "What you did back there - that was pretty damn brave. I can appreciate that. I voted for you 'cause I felt like you deserved it after shutting Dad down in front of the whole Greek and Roman world. Not because I like you. Just wanted to make that clear."

Percy couldn't fight off the chuckle. Ares had a soft side, after all. "Right. Crystal clear."

"Good." Ares disappeared back into the crowd. Percy allowed himself one last laugh before he headed out of the throne room, down the bustling mountain, across the dizzying floating path and down the elevator. He was disappointed that he couldn't find Artemis amongst the partygoers. Although there were thousands upon thousands of them, he couldn't help but wonder whether she was avoiding him. She didn't seem to approve of his plan before the rewards ceremony, and even if she did seem to be in a good mood after his little show, the suspicion that she might not want to talk to him dampened his spirits a little. Not too much, though. He's always have another chance to talk to her.

Even the elevator music was good, for once - some soothing One Republic songs. Percy hummed along as the elevator slowly descended into the mortal world.

 _I see this life, like a swinging vine, swing my heart across the line-_

 _It's too late to apologize-_

What would he do if Zeus actually apologized? Percy shrugged. Forgive and forget? It isn't going to be that easy. He'll cross that line when he gets to it. If he ever gets to it at all.

With a soft _ding,_ the elevator stopped, and the doors opened. Percy stepped out, strolling through the Empire State Building's doors into the cold night air, still humming the tune of _Counting Stars_. Deep in his thoughts, he didn't notice the woman in front of him until he bumped straight into her.

" _Oof!"_ Percy grunted as he steadied himself. "Sorry, miss, I wasn't looking-" he narrowed his eyes. Auburn hair, silver down vest, black leggings, moccasins...something about this woman seemed familiar.

"It's fine," she said, meeting his eyes. The widening of his eyes was reflected in her own actions. "Percy?"

"Artemis?" Percy exclaimed incredulously. Well, wasn't this a pleasant surprise. "Why are you here?"

"I could ask the same of you." Artemis raised an eyebrow. Her voice sounded hoarse, for whatever reason. Perhaps from the cold? But she was a goddess, surely, the cold didn't affect her, so there must be some other cause other than the weather...nevertheless, he answered her question.

"I was going to spend the night at Mom's apartment," he said. "The party's still going on, but I got tired. Why aren't you in there?"

Artemis shrugged. She seemed down, her normally straight posture slouched, her features drooping with melancholy. "If any of my Hunters need me, they can come down easily. I suppose I was not feeling very festive. It's much more peaceful out here." Was she purposely avoiding her Hunters? If she was, then Thalia was definitely correct. If she didn't even want to spend the solstice party with her Hunters, something was definitely wrong.

One problem at a time. First of all, "How are you feeling? You seem down."

She blinked, unconsciously crossing her arms and hugging herself. "I do? Well, you must be mistaken, because-"

"No, you're definitely down," Percy decided. "You look so deflated, Artemis. Is something wrong?"

Artemis's eyes flashed. "Nothing is wrong, Perseus." But that only served to deepen Percy's suspicions, and now that he concentrated on her eyes…

"Have you been crying?" Percy demanded with a degree of forcefulness. Her eyes were rimmed with red - barely noticeable under the weak street lighting, but definitely there. And now that he suddenly saw them, more and more evidence jumped out at him. A few faint tear tracks ran down her face, and her voice was hoarse probably due to the blockage in her nose. "What - how - why-"

"It is none of your concern," Artemis snapped. "Just some unpleasant memories, that's all." She made a move to leave, but Percy intercepted her, his larger frame dwarfing the smaller goddess as he blocked her path. "I am perfectly fine. Let me go."

"No, Artemis," Percy managed to maintain his ground despite the heat of the goddess's heated glare directed at him. "You aren't fine. You're like the strongest willed goddess out there, and if anything an make you cry, it's definitely not _fine."_

"I am not crying." Damn, Artemis's stubbornness was something he never perceived, although he supposed all gods possessed that trait. He took a deep breath, rallying his thoughts.

"The evidence suggests otherwise," he replied. "Your eyes are red, and these are definitely tear tracks down your face, and your voice sounds hoarser than the Ares kids after a Capture the Flag game. I know there's something that's been going on, Artemis. Thalia told me-"

"She told you _what,_ exactly?" Oops, he wasn't supposed to mention his cousin at all. Percy swore in his mind. Why was he such an idiot?

"That the Hunters of Artemis are struggling through some really tough times, yet you've been distant, and you haven't been spending as much time with your Hunters as you should, or would have before the war." He pushed aside his hesitations and forged ahead. This was something he had promised Thalia - promised _himself -_ that he would confront. "It's making recruiting even more difficult than it already was, and the few new ones they get don't look up to you as they ought to, because they don't know you well enough."

Artemis scowled. "And did she tell you to talk to me as well? That damned girl-"

" _Artemis."_ Somehow, that worked, and she seemed to calm down slightly, enough for him to continue talking. "She did tell me to talk to you, but - I think I would have even if she didn't, because from the way she's described your situation, something's really wrong."

"I don't need your pity," Artemis snapped harshly, although her eyes were watering again. "I don't need your sympathy. I need to be left alone."

"I'm not here to pity you, Artemis," Percy placated. "You've helped me through the same situation before, and - and I just thought that I could try, I _should_ try, because-" he swallowed. "We're friends, I think, or at least I consider you to be my friend, and friends help each other. I don't know if you've seen yourself, but you look like - exactly like the way I looked for months after Annabeth's death."

That seemed to shock her, as she stiffened. "Do I really look that bad?" The blockage in her nose was evidently increasing, and a few tears were threatening to spill.

"Yeah, and I thought that whatever could make you look this way was something pretty terrible." Percy sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm not good at this comforting people thing, Annabeth was always better than me at this, but-"

"No, no, you're fine," Artemis managed a watery smile. "It's just that - it's just that today is-" She was unable to continue as a few tears slid down her cheeks, and she knelt down, head bent against her chest. Percy thought hard about it. Winter solstice, Artemis being extremely sorrowful, the similarity of her symptoms to his grief after Annabeth died-

It struck him. "It's Zoë, isn't it? Today was the day she…"

Artemis nodded wordlessly, unable to articulate any words. Percy struggled to formulate a response. Like he said, he was never very good at comforting people in their moments of sorrow. What was he meant to do now? He wanted to talk to her about what was wrong, but he didn't exactly anticipate... _this._

He thought back to how Artemis had comforted him. If that had worked on him, and since she was in a similar plight, maybe it might also work on her…

"Hey, look," he crouched down awkwardly and hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder, waiting for her reaction. Nothing, just continued, silent weeping with a few gasps in between. So far so good...although he wouldn't really describe this situation as particularly _good._ "I really don't want to say anything cheesy, and maybe you think I don't understand, but I _do_ understand. Losing Annabeth was the hardest thing I've ever had to face in my life, Tartarus included, Gaea included, and I feel like you're going through that as well right now." He rubbed her shoulder gently, hoping that it would have a soothing effect. "Losing Zoë, who was your lieutenant for…?"

"More than two millennia," she whispered.

"For over two thousand years, it must've been so damn hard. I don't know who she was to you, whether she was like a friend or a sister or something even stronger, but didn't you say that there are so many kinds of love, and all of them can be just as strong as one another?" Percy observed her carefully, waiting for her to move away.

She didn't, merely nodded, tears still running down her face, at full force now. "You know, Zoë dreamt of you at Camp Half-blood. She dreamt of you being captured, and was completely out of sorts the next day. She glared at anyone who walked past her and didn't even smile, once, even with the Hunters. When she got the prophecy, she knew that the quest would cost her her life, but she still volunteered to go, to _lead_ the quest without any hesitation. She must have loved you a lot to do that."

Artemis sniffled. "I hope so," she mumbled.

"I _know_ so," Percy reassured her forcefully. "She sacrificed her life because she loved you, and you should be proud of that-"

"Are you saying I should be proud for being the primary reason for her death?" Artemis didn't move away, but Percy could feel her body tense in anger. He squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. It was scary, trying to calm a goddess in this sort of mood, but she was his friend, even if she didn't consider him hers, and even the gods knew that Percy would do anything and everything for his friends.

"No," he refuted insistently. "I'm saying that you should be proud that she loved you so much. Zoë was one of the toughest people I knew to break down, and if you got her to love you enough that she was willing to sacrifice her life to save you, you must have been special to her."

"Much good it did her," Artemis clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white. "She died, because I was careless in getting captured-"

"We were at war, Artemis," Percy interrupted. "Deaths were bound to happen, and death is almost always unforeseeable. The circumstances of her death was of no fault of yours. If anything, her loyalty and devotion to you shows how damn fucking good of a friend you were for the two thousand years and more you were together for. Zoë got abandoned by Hercules, you not only offered her a new home, her immortality, but also a better life, a million times better than what she would have had in the garden. Most importantly, you offered her your companionship, your comradeship, your love - and she returned it fully, and had no regrets even in death." He tentatively wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I think that's a pretty damn good accomplishment, Artemis, to get her to love you like she did."

Artemis laughed, actually laughed, albeit shakily. "Percy Jackson, you have a way with words." Her laughter abruptly turned into sobbing. "It's just that, she's been with me for so long, and she just suddenly was - gone, just _gone,_ and I miss her so _fucking much,_ and now Phoebe's gone too, and Atalanta, and so many others who were with me for so long-

"Then keep her memory alive," Percy urged. "Keep _all_ their memories alive. Is that not what you told me a few weeks ago? Her spirit resides in Elysium, but her legacy lives among us. Tell the tales of her adventures with you, and remember the best moments you shared with her. Keep her alive in our hearts and honor her as best as you can, and it will get better."

"How do you know?" Artemis had managed to control her tears to a degree and speak semi-coherently, leaning into his embrace, his shirt becoming wet with her tears, although he didn't bother clearing them away. "That it will get better?"

"It's getting better for me," Percy said, swallowing as memories rushed through his mind. "I didn't think it would, but it is. Time heals all wounds, right? Even if it leaves scars, but scars are just reminders of who we were in the past, and you were Zoë's dearest companion in the world, and the mother of all the other girls who died in your service, and you should be so damned fucking proud that they all loved you so much. It will get better. I promise." He pointed up towards the sky. "See? She is right there, shining brightly even with all the light from the city. She'll always be with you, Artemis."

He stayed with her for...a long time. He didn't really keep track, because it was all such a blur, and he wouldn't have believed in his wildest dreams that he would be holding a crying Artemis in his embrace. Somehow, his speech must have worked, because eventually, the sobbing abated, the gasping subsided, and she stood up shakily, him hurrying to do the same, keeping an arm around her shoulder.

"You said you weren't good at comforting people," she finally said, with a lightness in her voice that was lacking the whole night. She shrugged off his arm gently and turned to face him, and Percy was so _damn_ glad to see the twinkling return to her eyes. "I beg to differ, because that was incredible, Percy Jackson."

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head abashedly. "Well, it wasn't rehearsed or anything, I just spoke...yeah, just spoke, and it somehow worked."

"It was...it was perfect." Artemis swallowed, and Percy knew just how hard it was for her to get that word past her lips to compliment a man. "I owe you, Percy Jackson."

"No, you don't," he hurriedly refused. "I owed you before for your talks. We're even."

"I _will_ find a way to pay you back, Percy," Artemis vowed. "You will not be able to stop me."

"If you want to pay me back...go back to the Hunt soon," Percy said. "Stay there for a while. Talk with the new ones. Help with recruiting. Doing things help take your mind off grief and trauma, and I really think Thalia needs the help."

Artemis nodded, her eyes faraway. "I suppose I have been putting off my own girls for far too long…" She nodded again, more resolutely this time. "I will go back to them as soon as possible. I will go back to them, and I will tell Zoë's tales to the new ones, and pass her legacy onto them."

"Swear it," Percy insisted. "Swear it on the Styx."

"I swear on the River Styx," Artemis swore. Thunder boomed in the distance. The pact was sealed. She smiled tiredly, but genuinely nonetheless. "But not tonight, not now. I am spent."

Her words made Percy realize just how tired he was. In his concentration on Artemis, his exhaustion had been pushed to the back of his mind. "Me too," he admitted. "I'm gonna go back to Mom's." He half-raised an arm for a hug, but dropped it after some consideration. The embrace was a one-off, probably. He shouldn't push his luck. "I'll see you...soon?" He asked hopefully. The chances were slim that they would meet again anytime soon, now that Artemis was going back to the Hunt and he was going to go back to New Rome to completely his studies. It might be until the next solstice when they see each other again.

Artemis nodded, although she looked wistful and uncertain as well. "Soon," she echoed. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something, because her face brightened, and she reached into the pockets of her down vest, producing a…

"It's my personal drachma," Artemis explained upon seeing his confused expression. Percy took the coin from her outstretched hands, examining it. It was silver, of course, beautifully crafted, with the image of a crescent moon entwined with a bow nocked with an arrow. On the other side was the face of a deer with huge antlers. The Ceryneian Hind, presumably. "I'm good friends with Iris, and for a subscription fee each year she gives me a few of these coins. Thalia has one, Apollo has one, and a few of the veterans in my Hunt have one each. I'm giving one to you. If you ever need me, for anything, just throw it in like a normal Iris message and request for me. It's reusable and never runs out - infinite calls to me, basically."

He stared at the coin, shocked. Why would she give him this? If only the most trusted of her Hunters and her brother possessed them, why would she give one to him? "Oh, no, you shouldn't - I'm not-"

"Accept the gift, you idiotic man," Artemis snapped. Suddenly, she surged forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. Percy, shocked, returned the hug, the coin tightly clutched in his hand. "You are my friend, Percy. Nobody else would be more worthy of this than you."

"I-" Percy stammered. He felt lightheaded and confused. What was happening. Did Artemis just hug him voluntarily and call him her friend, worthy of carrying one of her few special drachmas? He tried to verbalize a suitable response, to express his gratitude, but could come up with none. He settled for:

"Ok. Thanks."

She nodded, giving him one last smile. Then she was gone, leaving him alone, the coin still in his tightly clenched fist. He opened his hand, examining the coin once again. In the darkness of the night, with only the dim, orange glow of the streetlights to illuminate the streets, the drachma seemed to glow with a faint, silver aura, the mark of Artemis's essence.

He looked up towards Zoë's constellation. He wondered if she had one of these coins before her sacrifice. He snorted. Of course she did. She was Artemis's closest companion, and they loved each other like Jane and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, like Castor and Pollux from the myths. They probably confided to each other about everything. Of course she would've had a coin.

He started down the street towards his mom and Paul's apartment. He couldn't wait to see them again. He knew that they've been worried sick after hearing about Annabeth's death, and even if he had called a few times, he still wanted to see them in person to assure them he was alright. That much stress couldn't have been good for a woman pregnant with a daughter.

And so he walked down Fifth Avenue towards his home, humming _Counting Stars,_ the coin still in his hand, which was in the pockets of his jeans. He felt...lighter, after the night. The solstice was a definite success for him, more than a success, even. He talked with Athena, he talked with his dad, he even talked with Ares. Most importantly, he talked with Artemis, and consoled her in her time of weakness. Perhaps everyone needed a shoulder to lean on sometimes, whether it be a friend or a stranger, but Artemis had given him her coin and called him her friend. She'd also hugged him. Voluntarily. So there's that.

Things were looking up, he decided. For the first time in some while, Percy felt at peace.

 _Baby, I've been, I've been praying hard. Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars_

 _Yeah, we'll be counting stars._

* * *

" _Only in the darkness can you see the stars." - Martin Luther King Jr._


	4. Helping Hand

' _A friend is not someone who brags about you when things are going great, but someone who stays with you when your life is a mess and a bag of mistakes.'_

* * *

 **4**

' _We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year…'_

'Well, it's a little late for Christmas,' Sally laughed, 'but happy New Year it is!' Everyone in the Jackson-Paul family apartment cheered and raised their glasses for a toast. Percy smiled as he clinked glasses with Paul. He always loved to spend time with his family. Estelle was almost two, and his little chubby sister was already speaking in some semi-coherent phrases. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised, given that her parents are both well-versed in English.

It was snowing lightly outside, and despite it being nearly a month after Christmas, Sally and Paul were adamant about having a family dinner, and Percy was all too happy to oblige. Seated around the little table was the entire Jackson-Blofis family - Percy, Paul, and his mother with Estelle in her lap. She would be in a booster seat, but both her and Sally preferred to be close to each other during dinner, even at the (occasional) expense of a little hygiene. They were drinking some decent red wine (except for Stella, obviously), the kind one could get at Walmart for a little over ten bucks and very good for its price. His mother had whipped out some of her vintage cooking skills and managed to conjure a family-sized feast worthy of Hestia herself, with a delicious oven-roasted chicken, sliced beef, some fresh salad, pudding and - best of all - blue chocolate chip cookies, a Sally Jackson special. Percy didn't drink often - a little more over the past year or so, but still barely once a month - but a white Christmas with some of his most loved ones in the world was worth breaking the habit for.

No one from Camp Half-blood was here - in fact, there was absolutely no godly presence in the house except for Percy's demigoddishness, as Paul so eloquently put it. It felt nice to have some time alone with the mortal side of his family - he'd had a little too much of the godly side for the past year and too little vice versa - and seeing his baby sister grow up was always going to be a huge plus. He did consider inviting Poseidon over, but he thought that would be awkward for both Paul and his mom, and his father probably didn't have the time anyway, so he set the idea aside.

Estelle hopped off Sally's lap and waved her tiny spoon around. She shrieked in delight as a glop of mashed potato landed on Percy's freshly washed and pressed jeans.

Fine, perhaps Stella wasn't as big of a plus as Percy had imagined. She might seem innocent, but his little sister had the mind of the devil. He just chuckled it off along with Paul and wiped it off as best as he could.

'Estelle!' Sally scolded her. 'Don't throw your food!'

'Sowwy, mama!' Estelle giggled.

'It's okay, Stella,' Percy assured her, still dabbing at the stain. 'Accidents happen.'

'Yep. Totally an accident,' Paul chuckled. 'Dam - er, dang, this chicken is good!' He shoved a forkful of chicken breast into his mouth. 'Say, Sally, how'd you get this chicken to taste so good?'

Sally regarded him amusedly. 'We have a _kid,_ Paul. We're a little past the 'compliment the cook' stage.'

'It's genuine,' Paul insisted with a mouthful of chicken. 'You're the best cook in the world, Sally.'

Percy rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but agree. Sally pretended to look upset. 'Is that all I'm good for, Paul?'

'Certainly not,' Paul winked at Percy. 'Bedroom never gets cold when you're with me.' Percy pretended to gag. Sally covered Estelle's ears.

'Paul!' she admonished, scandalized. 'We have kids here!'

' _Kid,'_ Percy corrected, grinning. 'I'm way past legal age.'

Sally glared at him. 'You and Paul are going to be the end of me someday.' She stopped covering Estelle's ears. The girl looked up at her mother with big, innocent eyes.

'Mommy?' she asked. 'Why bedroom not cold?'

Sally turned her glare to Paul, who pretended not to notice. 'Now look what you've done.' She patted Estelle's head, her expression softening immediately. 'It's because we always have the heater on, honey.'

Percy was trying to reign in his sniggers when there came a knock at the door. 'Mom, we expecting anyone else?'

Sally frowned. 'I don't think so. I'll get it.'

It was a habit. If a monster was at the door, it wouldn't instantly lash out at a mortal. If it was a monster, Sally would yell 'red'. If the visitor wasn't immediately hostile, she would yell 'blue'. Still, Percy fingered Riptide anxiously as he waited for some noise, some indication of what was happening.

He heard the door open. He didn't hear a 'red' or a 'blue', but instead an exclaimed 'OH!' followed by 'my lady!'

 _You've got to be kidding me._ It wasn't as if he didn't want to see Artemis, but...there goes his time alone with his mortal family.

He hurried to the front door. 'Artemis?'

'Percy.' Artemis's smile was more relieved than happy. 'I need to talk to you.'

He glanced at his mom, who understood immediately. 'I don't know what's going on, Percy, but...okay. It was nice meeting you, Lady Artemis.' She disappeared back into the living room.

They stepped outside into the hallway. Percy gave Artemis a look which he hoped was somewhere between exasperation and delight without being too rude. 'So, what's up?'

Artemis returned the look with an apologetic one. 'Sorry. Is this a bad time?'

Percy shrugged. 'Not...really, but time with family, y'know, is important.'

Artemis nodded in understanding. 'Yes, I know. I would not have come if it was not urgent. The Hunt needs your help, Percy. We've been attacked.'

That got his attention. If the Hunt was already as weak as Thalia had described, an attack would have been catastrophic. 'Bad?'

Artemis hesitated. 'Not...terrible. No deaths, but everyone had some injuries of some sort. Thalia was shot in the chest.'

'Shot in the _chest?'_

'Yes, it just grazed the right side of her heart. She's bedridden for the foreseeable future, which is why I came in her place. We are barely functional. The young ones are panicking. We need your help.' Artemis sighed tiredly. 'It is my fault. You know I have been slacking, and a month of hard work hasn't paid off enough.'

It was true, so Percy didn't try to sugarcoat. He didn't really like where this was going. 'And you need my help with what, exactly?'

Artemis hesitated. 'You are going to hate me for this.'

Percy rolled his eyes. 'I won't hate you for anything, Artemis.'

'Travel with us.'

'Can I revise my previous statement? There are _some_ things I would hate you for.'

Artemis groaned. 'I truly am sorry, Percy. I know you've been searching for a normal life, but...I cannot ask another god, and there is no other demigod I would rather choose.'

Percy raised his eyebrows. 'Really? Not even a girl?'

'There is no one else as proficient as you,' Artemis said. 'Nor do I trust anyone else.'

'Apollo?'

Artemis scowled. 'He is...I do not know. Somewhere. We have not talked often since the war. But it does not matter, he is a god, and gods do not meddle it the affairs of their peers often.'

 _Not even when your sister is struggling._ Percy hesitated. 'Your Hunters won't like this.'

'And you think they will like _Apollo_ more?'

'...point taken.'

'They will tolerate you. Some might even talk to you.'

That brought a dry smile to his lips. 'Wow. Gee, that's quite warm of them.'

'Perseus.' Artemis grabbed his arm. Percy nearly flinched - he wasn't used to these physical expressions from the goddess. She didn't look strong, but her grip _hurt._ He doubted she was aware of how much strength she was using. 'It will not be a long period of time - just enough for us to recover and possibly recruit more. Thalia needs you. Do it for her.'

Percy tried to think, but he knew his decision was made. Damn his fatal flaw, it was going to get him killed someday.

'Fine,' he said. 'I'll do it.'

Artemis's hold on his arm slackened. 'Thank you.'

Percy rubbed his throbbing arm. 'It's what friends are for. I just need to tell my family.'

Artemis nodded. 'Don't pack anything unless you want to. We have spare tents. They are quite luxurious.' She pressed the button for the elevator. 'I will wait for you outside. This building is stifling me.'

The elevator chimed, and Artemis stepped in it. Just before the doors closed, Percy put a foot between them. 'Hey, Artemis?'

'Yes?'

'I want you to know that I'm not just doing this for Thalia. I'm doing it for you too.'

The last glance he caught of her before he reentered his apartment was her smile.

* * *

He didn't expect a warm welcome, but what greeted him disturbed him even more.

It had been almost midnight when Percy finished explaining what was happening to his family. His mother wasn't pleased, but she understood. She always understood.

As a result, he was tired when Artemis teleported them to wherever the Hunt was camped. They didn't look much better than him. Whatever remained of the once energetic Hunt was like the dying embers in the remnants of a fire. There were a mere ten tents in a circle, including a larger-than-normal one which was clearly Artemis's and one marked with a red cross, which Percy presumed was the medical tent. A small fire burnt in the middle of the ring. Percy could see around two Hunters up and about. One of them was huddled near the 'fire' sipping a cup of something, and the other took one look at him, gave Artemis a stare, and disappeared into the medical bay.

Percy shivered. It was cold on many levels.

'We haven't had much luck with recruiting,' Artemis admitted. 'The past months have been difficult.'

 _Oh, I know._

They walked past the fire. Percy heard the girl mutter, 'Have we plummeted so low that we seek help from men?' Artemis ignored her.

'Percy, this is Natalia, from Russia. She has been in the Hunt for a few centuries. Natalia, Perseus Jackson.'

'I know,' the girl said. 'I hope he is as good as you say.'

Once they were some distance away, Percy turned towards Artemis. 'You've been _talking_ about me?'

Artemis shrugged. 'Here and there with Thalia. Many of the older ones held some degree of respect for you. I wanted to ensure the new ones had the same.'

'They're probably sick of hearing my name,' Percy muttered. 'An exclusive all-girls club, but with constant mentions of some guy.'

Artemis sighed, exasperated. 'Percy, you will be fine. You have a good heart. If I can have you as a friend, why would my Hunters object?'

 _For many reasons._ But he kept that to himself. Artemis gave him a square piece of silver fabric about the size of a handkerchief.

'Throw it on the ground, and it makes a tent,' she explained. 'I would advise you to stay on me and my lieutenant's side, unless you want tripwires rigged to whipping cream buckets to your face.'

Percy made a mental note to stay very close to Artemis but very far away from the rest of the girls.

'I'll do it later,' he decided. 'I want to see Thalia.'

'She's in the medical tent, most likely asleep. There are others there. Do not wake them up.'

Percy nodded, already off. He passed Natalia again, who gave him an indiscernible look.

'You are friends with Lady Artemis?' she asked. She had a distinctly Eastern European accent which confirmed her heritage.

'Yes,' he replied. 'At least, I like to think so.'

'I find it hard to believe. I remember you from the night on the cliff,' she said. 'You were the one who wanted to jump off it into the sea, after that girl.'

Percy smiled, thinking back. 'Yeah. Good old days.'

Natalia didn't return his sentiments. 'And New York. You were the leader of the camp.'

'Yes, I was.'

Natalia grimaced. 'The girl. She was always beside you. Where is she now? In your bed, I presume?'

Percy winced, not from the implied insult but from the memories. 'She's dead. It's been a year or so. We were dating.'

Natalia didn't seem to know how to respond to that. 'Dating? For how long?'

'Since Kronos,' Percy said. 'It was tough, but we were happy.'

'Artemis told me you fell into Tartarus for her. I did not know whether to believe her or not.'

'Why? You think she would lie to her Hunters?'

Natalia shrugged. 'Artemis does not lie often, but demigods never walk out of Tartarus. They certainly do not fall _into_ it for their girlfriend, expecting to come out alive.'

'I didn't fall into Tartarus for her. _We_ fell into Tartarus with each other.' For some reason, he felt the need to emphasize the difference. 'It wasn't one after the other. It was both at the same time.'

Natalia turned away. 'You would do well to tell that story to the rest of the Hunt. Perhaps they will find it easier to tolerate you then.'

He didn't know what she meant, so he continued on his way. Arriving at the tent with the red cross, he carefully pried the flaps apart and stepped in.

It was spacious, and dimly but warmly lit with a small, smoke-free fireplace. There were at least thirty cots. Five were occupied. Percy spotted Thalia's spiky hair before another girl spotted him. She sat up, looked at him, and flopped back down with a groan.

'She actually did it,' she muttered. She had a broken leg and bruises on her face. 'She brought a man in the Hunt.'

None of the other girls were awake, but Percy made sure his footsteps were quiet anyways. He knelt down beside Thalia's bed. She wasn't wearing a shirt, and had layers upon layers of bandages wrapped around her chest. He reached out to hold her hand.

She stirred, and opened her eyes. 'Percy? What the fuck are you doing here?'

'Helping,' he replied. 'Artemis said you guys were attacked. It looks pretty bad, if your chest is anything to judge by.'

Thalia coughed. 'Ow. Coughing hurts. Don't stare at my chest, pervert. It was just an arrow which nearly pierced my heart. No biggie.' Her eyes widened. 'Wait. 'Helping' for how long?'

Percy shrugged. 'She said a month or so. More if necessary.'

Thalia groaned. 'Well, you're gonna have a _fun_ time here. All the girls are more or less depressed. And I won't be much help for at least a few weeks.'

'Hey.' Percy squeezed her hand. 'It's okay. I'm doing this for you as well as Artemis. If that means getting shot a few times, sure. At least target practice with a live target might cheer them up.'

Thalia chuckled, then winced. 'Ow. That hurt too. You're a good person, Percy. We don't deserve you.'

Percy smiled. 'I'm inclined to agree,' he joked. 'I'm too awesome.'

Thalia smacked him weakly. 'Don't get a big head, Seaweed Brain. Now shoo, I'm meant to be resting.' She closed her eyes and sank back into the bed. 'You know, getting shot isn't so bad. At least I get to sleep more.'

Percy laughed. Thalia smacked him again. 'Hey. Don't make me laugh. You know it hurts.' She turned serious. 'You look tired, Percy. Get some sleep. It must be late.

'Midnight, to be precise. Don't worry, I will. Rest up, Thals.' He let go of her hand and started to tiptoe his way back out.

'Perseus Jackson?' He paused. Someone was calling his name.

He turned around. 'Yes?' He pinpointed the source of the voice. He recognized her. 'You...were the daughter of Hermes who blew up Lincoln Tunnel?'

She didn't smile, or show any expression. It was disconcerting, seeing a daughter of Hermes so lifeless. 'Yeah, I suppose I was. Arianna. Listen, Artemis is your friend. I don't know how or why. Take care of her, because none of us can.'

Her voice had woken up the rest of the girls. Some threw glares at Arianna. Some threw glares at him. They all looked despondently angry. Her words must have hit a sour spot.

'Don't touch Lady Artemis, boy,' one of them warned. 'I don't care if you are Perseus Jackson. You are still a boy.'

Percy turned to face the girl who'd spoken. 'I don't recognize you from New York, but you're right. I'm still just a boy.' He rubbed his forehead tiredly. It was late. 'I understand you all dislike my gender. Some of you probably had terrible male figures in your lives. I understand; I had an abusive stepfather.'

He paused. 'But I came here of my own free will, because Artemis asked me to help. She trusts me, Thalia trusts me, and they're both my friends. Hopefully that's enough to get you guys to give me a chance. If you don't want to talk to me, that's fine. I won't intrude. I know this isn't normal, but it's the status quo for the next few weeks. Just don't make it harder for all of us.'

He ran a hand through his hair. 'Okay, I won't intrude any further, as I said. I was just here to visit Thalia.'

He pushed through the flaps of the tent. Someone yelled something which sounded like 'stay gone', but her voice was so weak he barely heard it. He sighed.

He passed Natalia again. He got a better glimpse of her drink this time; it was hot chocolate. She glanced up at him.

'This is the last cup,' she said. 'We are running out of supplies. But with this many injured, we cannot move.'

Percy frowned. 'I thought the attack was, like, yesterday or something.'

Natalia rolled her eyes. 'Do you think Artemis would invite a man into the Hunt so easily? No, we have been toiling for weeks. As soon as she came back from the solstice, the attack happened. Artemis does not have to eat, but there is no game to hunt in the city, and we have little mortal currency. It is so bad now that some girls genuinely supported bringing you here.'

Percy stared at her. For the first time, he noticed the gauntness in her cheeks. 'And the gods? They didn't help at all?'

But he already knew the answer to that question as she shook her head. The gods didn't help.

'Well,' he said. 'Are any of the girls mobile?'

Natalia shrugged. 'Possibly, but we would all walk if Artemis told us to, even with broken legs. Most of them have that. The enemy was seeking to disable, not kill.'

'On my own it is,' Percy decided. 'Tomorrow I'll go buy some food.'

Natalia stared at him. 'Mortal food?'

Percy blinked. 'Uh, I guess?'

Natalia dropped her gaze to the embers. 'Make sure to get hot chocolate, and chewing gum.'

"Uh...okay.' He was expecting something more derisive. 'I'm going to sleep now.' He left before things could get weirder.

He threw the square piece of fabric down on what looked like a nice, open spot and watched with mild satisfaction as it sprung into a huge tent. Instead of being completely silver, his tent had poles which were sea green. He stepped inside cautiously.

The interior was cozy but not extravagant. There was a simple single bed with silver sheets and covers. A small wooden table served as a nightstand, and there were a few hooks to hang clothes upon near the entrance. A small, smokeless fireplace crackled at the foot of the bed. Percy sighed as he let the warmth wash over him, chasing away the coldness in his ears and the tips of his fingers.

'Gods, I'm tired,' he muttered.

The warmth was too inviting. He flopped onto the bed and closed his eyes. Before he knew it, he drifted off.

* * *

'Percy, wake up.'

Percy's eyes snapped open. 'Where—oh. Nevermind. Hi.'

Artemis looked apologetic. 'My apologies, but you are scheduled for second watch. I also have to brief you on housekeeping rules.'

Percy yawned. That was a pretty good nap. 'Jeez, it must be way past midnight.'

'You've only slept for thirty minutes,' Artemis said.

'Really?' It felt way longer. Percy sat up. 'Right. Second watch. Who's first watch?'

'I am.'

'Third?'

'Natalia, but she will wake up by herself. Don't go into her tent.'

'As if I was going to do that.' Percy yawned again. 'Cool. Housekeeping rules?'

Artemis nodded. 'Since you're a _special_ situation, I had to modify some things. You don't have to hunt for now, but I _will_ insist on training you with a bow. Usually the girls do laundry together, but I'm sure you understand why you cannot do the same. Of course, with your mastery over your father's element, I'm sure you can get by.'

'I can.' He didn't know if he can. Usually he used water to smash up monsters. He'd never actually tried to _wash_ things gently. 'But you do not want to train me with a bow. I might end up injuring the two uninjured Hunters you have.'

Artemis rolled her eyes. 'I am the goddess of archery. You will be fine. If it makes you feel better, you can join the rest in close combat training.'

'Well, you've never seen me shoot. I'm the only one ever at camp who somehow managed to shoot it backwards. That doesn't make me feel better, by the way. I'm going to get my ass whooped.' Damn, when did he get so comfortable talking to Artemis? He hoped she wasn't offended.

Artemis smirked. 'All the more fun for us. Female dominance will never have been so directly prominent.' She brought out a knife. 'Here. A hunting knife. You will be using this instead of Anaklusmos.'

Percy glanced at it. 'I don't fight with knives.'

'Surely you learned some from…'

'Annabeth? It's fine, you can say her name.' _For Poseidon's sake, he was fine._ 'A little bit. But I'm much more comfortable with Riptide.'

'We all use knives,' Artemis explained. 'It might help you be assimilated into our group.'

'Gee, thanks.' He was pretty sure _assimilation_ was something which happened alongside racism, but he took the knife. 'Anything else?'

'Supplies,' Artemis said. 'You are in charge of shopping as long as we are still unable to secure food consistently.'

'I was going to do that tomorrow,' Percy said. 'But I don't have a lot of money.'

Artemis frowned. 'You will have to prioritize, then. Make sure to get hot chocolate.'

Percy laughed. ' _Prioritize._ Right. I'll try, but obviously I need to get actual food. Running a low budget here.'

'And chewing gum. Arianna loves these, but I never understood why. They are not actually _food.'_

'It's stress relieving.' Percy closed his eyes. 'They're very stressed. And feeling very helpless. You must've scraped the bottom of the barrel if you got me to come.'

He didn't see her face, but Artemis snorted derisively, so he assumed she was rolling her eyes or performing some similar gesture of exasperation. 'I wouldn't categorize the savior of the world as _the bottom of the barrel.'_

'You know what I mean. I didn't even get shot after seeing them asleep. They're too worried about everything else to care about a guy in their tent.' Percy cracked open an eye. 'Any idea who attacked? They didn't want to kill anyone. Everyone has broken legs or similar disabling injuries. They don't want the Hunt on the move.'

He felt Artemis sit down on the bed. 'As you may have noticed, we haven't exactly had time to chase after them. It was a monster horde, but whoever they work for, we are in the dark.' She sounded annoyed.

'Man, both our lives have sucked recently.' Percy yawned. 'I think a good sleep will fix it a little.'

Artemis patted his hand. 'I agree. I will wake you for second watch.'

Percy raised an eyebrow. 'If goddesses don't need sleep, why don't you take first, second, third and last watch?'

Artemis chuckled. 'I'm tired too, Percy.' And he could see that she was only half joking. She still looked like, well, her. A goddess. But there were shadows under her eyes and faint stress lines on her forehead and a ton of other very _human_ imperfections which he didn't even know gods could get.

'I know,' he said, gently. 'Hey, I'll take first watch. You look more dead inside than I do.'

Artemis hesitated. 'I do not _die,_ Percy. I'm a goddess.'

'Metaphorically. Besides, I like uninterrupted sleep.'

She caved. 'Thank you, Percy. You know where my tent is. I will wake up by myself, but if I don't…' she glared at him. 'Don't take my watch as well.'

Percy grinned. 'You got it. Go to bed.'

Artemis nodded, and walked out from his tent. Percy groaned as soon as she was out of earshot. He kind of already regretted his decision.

'Well, here goes hopefully nothing,' he muttered, pulling on his coat again. 'Why do you always do this to yourself, Percy?'

* * *

He sat at the fire. With a little help from a lighter he'd packed, he'd managed to restart it. It was small, but provided some warmth nonetheless.

He played with Riptide as he waited for his shift to be over. He roughly estimated that time to be when the moon was a quarter of the way down from its zenith. It was hard to judge, because the moon was wane and partially clouded. The fire sputtered, and he blew on it to keep it going.

He closed his eyes. The air was still for the moment. He could hear some voices from the medical tent. The leaves on the ground behind him crunched as they scraped along the ground.

'Leaves don't move on their own,' he muttered.

Fast as lightning, he uncapped Riptide and stabbed behind him. He felt the blade rip through flesh, heard a grunt and a small _thud_ of something impacting the ground.

He pivoted on his heel and swung again. This time, Riptide hissed through empty air. He saw nothing. There were no abnormally concentrated masses of water which suggested a body. Whoever was there a moment ago, they were gone.

He lowered his blade. There was something on the ground. He bent down to pick it up. He frowned. 'Okay…'

A golden Bank of America credit card. He tucked it into his pocket. Could be useful, but he was still suspicious. Why sneak up on him to deliver a credit card?

He wiped Riptide on his shirt. He was going to wash it tomorrow anyway. His blade was stained with blood.

He squinted. No, it wasn't blood. It was golden ichor. Whoever he had wounded was a god.

Someone was meddling with them. He'd stabbed a soft part of the body, possibly the stomach or thighs. This, at least, gave them a lead.

'This just got a lot more interesting,' he mused. 'A lot more interesting.'

* * *

 _Sorry for the MASSIVE delay (hiatus). But it's back, and I'm back, and I know what direction I'm heading in with this story. Look forward to more!_


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